Rhode Island Community Food Bank
The Rhode Island Community Food Bank aims to improve the quality of life for all
Rhode Islanders by advancing solutions to the problem of hunger. The Food Bank
distributes food to people in need through a statewide network of 168 member agencies.
These agencies include food pantries, meal sites, shelters, youth programs and senior
centers.
Hassenfeld Child Health Innovation Institute
The Hassenfeld Child Health Innovation Institute of Brown University integrates
research, clinical practice, public health efforts, and education programs to improve the
health of children; address the issue of poverty and how it impacts child health; serve as
a national/international model through rigorous research and evaluation programs to
demonstrate what can be achieved in child health; and train the next generation of child
health leaders. Faculty, staff, and students from the School of Public Health, the Alpert
Medical School, Hasbro Children’s Hospital, and Women and Infants Hospital work
together to understand genetic, prenatal, and early life factors associated with children’s
health problems and to develop effective new strategies for prevention and treatment.
Suggested citation
Matthew Scarpaci, Lauren Schlichting, Michelle L. Rogers, and Melissa Clark. 2019
Rhode Island Hunger Survey, Providence, RI. 2019.
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank the following individuals: Andrew Schiff and staff at the
Rhode Island Community Food Bank for their collaboration on this project; the guests at
the Food Bank member agencies who participated in the interviews; the agency hosts
who provided the opportunities and spaces for the site visits; the volunteers who
recruited and conducted interviews with participants; Esmeralda Guevara, MPH
candidate, from the Brown University School of Public Health, Raul Smego, GIS
Research Analyst at the Hassenfeld Child Health Innovation Institute, and staff at
Progreso Latino for their assistance with translation of the instrument; Patrick Vivier for
his leadership of the Hassenfeld Child Health Innovation Institute; and the anonymous
donor who provided the resources that made this project possible.
1
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction ____________________________________________________ 3
Key Findings ___________________________________________________ 4
Demographics ___________________________________________________________ 4
Health __________________________________________________________________ 4
Income & Poverty _________________________________________________________ 4
Financial Situation ________________________________________________________ 4
Food Security ____________________________________________________________ 4
Use of Other Social Services ________________________________________________ 5
Residential Status ________________________________________________________ 5
Survey Design __________________________________________________ 6
Survey Development ______________________________________________________ 6
Strata and Site Selection ___________________________________________________ 6
Volunteer Recruitment and Training __________________________________________ 7
Site Visits and Sampling Intervals ____________________________________________ 8
Participant Recruitment ____________________________________________________ 9
The Interview ___________________________________________________________ 10
Analytical Approach ______________________________________________________ 10
Weighting ______________________________________________________________ 10
Response Rates _________________________________________________________ 10
Caveats _______________________________________________________________ 11
Results _______________________________________________________ 12
Estimated Counts of Households Served by the Food Bank _______________________ 13
Demographics of Rhode Island Community Food Bank Households ________________ 16
Housing/Living Situation __________________________________________________ 22
Health Status ___________________________________________________________ 24
Employment, Barriers to Employment, and Income _____________________________ 26
Financial Situation _______________________________________________________ 31
Food Security ___________________________________________________________ 33
Use of Other Social Service Programs _______________________________________ 38
Use of Food Bank Programs _______________________________________________ 42
Poverty Among Food Bank Guests __________________________________________ 44
Residential Status _______________________________________________________ 46
2
Conclusions ___________________________________________________ 47
Appendices ___________________________________________________ 48
Appendix A: Overall Rhode Island Hunger Survey Results _______________________ 48
Appendix B: Rhode Island Hunger Survey Results by Program ___________________ 60
3
INTRODUCTION
Many individuals and families in Rhode Island lack enough food to meet their nutritional
needs. According to the most recent report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA),
11 percent of households in Rhode Island are food insecure, meaning their access to
adequate food is limited by a lack of money or other resources. Nearly half of food insecure
households in Rhode Island report the most severe conditions associated with hunger – what
the USDA calls “very low food security.”
When they do not have adequate food for themselves or their family members, people
sometimes turn to food pantries or meal programs for help. By providing food for home
preparation (food pantries) or offering prepared meals on site (meal programs, also
commonly called soup kitchens), these organizations are a safety net for households on the
brink of hunger.
The Rhode Island Community Food Bank maintains a statewide network of 168 member
agencies, including food pantries and meal programs. The Food Bank acquires donated food
from retailers, farmers, manufacturers, distributors, and community members and then
distributes this food to its member agencies. From July 2018 to June 2019, the Food Bank
distributed 11.6 million pounds of food, with member agencies of the Food Bank serving
53,000 people each month on average.
In the past, the Food Bank participated in a study called Hunger in America, which was
sponsored by the national food bank organization, Feeding America. In 2006, 2010, and
2014, Hunger in America surveyed people receiving assistance at food pantries and meal
programs in Rhode Island. In 2018, Feeding America announced that it would no longer
sponsor the Hunger in America study. The Hassenfeld Child Health Innovation Institute at
Brown University agreed to conduct a 2019 survey in Rhode Island for the Food Bank. The
Hassenfeld Child Health Innovation Institute is a partnership of Brown University, its affiliated
hospitals, government and community partners that seeks to integrate research, clinical
practice, public health efforts, and educational programs to help make the communities
served the healthiest place in the world for children and their families.
The purpose of the 2019 Rhode Island Hunger Survey was to gain a comprehensive and up-
to-date understanding of the population served by the Food Bank, including the most pressing
needs of this population. Results from the survey will guide the Food Bank’s strategic
planning and program development. Ultimately, information and data gleaned from the survey
will help the Food Bank achieve its mission: Improving the quality of life for all Rhode
Islanders by advancing solutions to the problem of hunger.
4
KEY FINDINGS
The Rhode Island Community Food Bank serves a subset of the population with its own
distinctive characteristics and challenges. This survey aimed to identify the most pressing
needs of the population served by the Food Bank and its agencies. Notable findings of the
survey include:
DEMOGRAPHICS
People in Rhode Island who receive food assistance are some of the most vulnerable in the
state. Fifty-one percent of all households who receive assistance include at least one
individual under the age of 17 or someone over the age of 65.
HEALTH
Two thirds of all respondents (65%) rated their own health as good or fair. Among all
households, 41% have a resident who has been diagnosed with diabetes and 60% have a
resident who has been diagnosed with high blood pressure.
INCOME & POVERTY
The vast majority (88%) of people using the services of the Food Bank and its member
agencies have yearly incomes below the 2019 Federal Poverty Guidelines. Over half of all
households reported annual incomes below $10,000.
FINANCIAL SITUATION
Many households struggle with basic expenses. One third of households have had to choose
between paying for rent and paying for food at least once in the past 12 months. Similar
patterns were found when asking whether households have had to choose between paying
for food and paying for utilities, medical care, and transportation in the past 12 months. Debt
is also a challenge: 48% of households have borrowed money from a friend or family member
in the past year and 33% have outstanding debt.
FOOD SECURITY
More than 57% of respondents said that they would have to spend more money weekly to
meet their food needs. Of those who said they would have to spend more, the median
amount of money estimated to be needed was $66 per week.
5
USE OF OTHER SOCIAL SERVICES
Most of the households seeking food assistance receive additional benefits elsewhere.
Among all households, 75% receive SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program)
benefits. Of those with a child aged 0-5, 56% receive benefits from WIC (Women, Infants,
and Children) services. Among households with school-aged children 6-17, 80% have a child
who participates in free or reduced-price school lunch programs.
RESIDENTIAL STATUS
Among all households that use the Food Bank and its member agencies’ services, 99% are
comprised of entirely U.S. citizens and legal residents.
6
SURVEY DESIGN
SURVEY DEVELOPMENT
The 2019 Rhode Island Hunger Survey was developed in part to replicate prior statewide food
agency surveys so that data can be compared over time as desired. Many of the questions
asked in the 2019 Rhode Island Hunger Survey were identical to questions from the Hunger
in America 2014 survey. Data collection was conducted through computer-assisted personal
interviewing (CAPI) using the survey program Qualtrics installed on iPads. Qualtrics allowed
for interviews to be conducted in locations without adequate internet access.
The survey was designed in English and then translated into Spanish by bilingual speakers.
The translation was reviewed by native Spanish speaking persons to ensure comprehension.
Both English and Spanish versions of the survey were available at all times to participants,
and the survey program allowed for the language to be changed at any time by interviewers.
STRATA AND SITE SELECTION
To provide for adequate representation of the population that uses Food Bank services, a
random subset of affiliated agencies were selected at which interviews would take place.
Agencies were categorized into 12 strata (Table 1) based on the type of services offered
(food pantries versus meal programs), the average number of guests an agency serves
(small, medium, large), and the geographic location of the agency (core city versus non-core
city). The size of the agency was determined by how many guests an agency serves on
average per day the site is open. Small pantries averaged 2-14 guests per day while small
meal programs averaged 21-53 guests per day. Medium pantries averaged 15-33 guests per
day while medium meal programs averaged 54-114 guests per day. Large pantries averaged
34-230 guests per day while large meal programs averaged 115-501 guests per day.
Agencies were additionally classified based on whether the city or town in which they were
located has 25% or more of all children living below the poverty threshold (“core city” – Central
Falls, Pawtucket, Providence, and Woonsocket) or less than 25% (“non-core city”).
7
After grouping by strata, individual agencies were randomly selected to participate in the
survey. The aim was to have an overall sample that was proportional-to-size of households
served by all agencies. Four hundred completed surveys was deemed adequate power to
represent the population, with a target of 25% of the surveys from meal programs and 75%
from food pantries.
VOLUNTEER RECRUITMENT AND TRAINING
The research team consisted of one project coordinator who was present at all site visits and
1 to 5 additional volunteers who were trained on basic structured interviewing skills.
Volunteers were recruited from the Food Bank’s list of interested volunteers as well as
outreach online and at local universities. Volunteer opportunities were available to anyone
over the age of 18 and able to speak English and, if possible, Spanish. Volunteers were
required to attend one 3-hour training session and to commit to interviewing at a minimum of
3 agency visits. In total, 59 volunteers participated as interviewers. Volunteers who enjoyed
interviewing were welcome to help at additional sites, and 20 volunteers participated in 5 or
more different agency visits.
Volunteer trainings were 3 hours in length and included an in-depth explanation of the survey
design and goals, basic interviewing skills and practices, and a hands-on tutorial and practice
of the actual survey in both paper and electronic form. Participants were encouraged to ask
questions and a preliminary schedule was distributed to volunteers at the end of the training
based on stated availability.
Table 1: Classification of Agencies into Survey St rata
Stratum Site Type Size Location
1 Meal Program Small Non-core
2 Meal Program Medium Non-core
3 Meal Program Large Non-core
4 Meal Program Small Core
5 Meal Program Medium Core
6 Meal Program Large Core
7 Food Pantry Small Non-core
8 Food Pantry Medium Non-core
9 Food Pantry Large Non-core
10 Food Pantry Small Core
11 Food Pantry Medium Core
12 Food Pantry Large Core
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SITE VISITS AND SAMPLING INTERVALS
Visits to the 61 randomly selected Food Bank agencies occurred from early April 2019
through the end of June 2019 to minimize the effect of seasonal changes on agency use.
Additionally, site visits were not scheduled over the Easter or Memorial Day weekends to
prevent the expected increase in agency use during those times from skewing survey results.
Because the Rhode Island Community Food Bank maintains records of monthly visits to each
affiliate agency, the survey team was able to anticipate approximately how many guests
would frequent the site during the scheduled site visit to the agency. This worked to the
survey team’s advantage in two ways. First, based on the expected number of agency
guests, the coordinator could estimate how many volunteers were needed to prevent potential
survey respondents from being missed due to lack of available volunteers or volunteers being
underutilized at low volume sites. Second, knowing how many guests were expected to
frequent the site on a given day allowed the survey team to establish a sampling rate for each
site.
The sampling rate was the interval at which guests were approached and asked to participate
in an interview. Because the survey was designed to be proportional-to-size, the number of
interviews needed per stratum was known beforehand, and therefore the number of
interviews that needed to be completed at a given site could be established. The sampling
rate was computed by dividing the target number of completed interviews (based on an
estimated response rate of 60%) by the average count of guests served per day the site was
open. For instance, a sampling rate of 0.33 means that 1 out of every 3 guests to a specific
site were approached for an interview. With a 0.33 sampling rate, the first person to visit a site
on a given day was approached, and then the fourth, the seventh, and so on. The sampling
rate was the same for all sites in a given stratum to minimize the risk of over-representing the
guests served by a specific agency. Due to unexpected low turn-outs at some sampled
agencies and a concern about not reaching the necessary goal of 400 completed surveys,
starting on June 1, 2019, a decision was made to increase the sampling rate at all remaining
sites by about 20%.
9
Table 2 shows the sampling rate and interval in each stratum, in addition to how the sampling
rate was modified after June 1.
Table 2: Stratum Sampling Rates
Stratum Original
Sampling Rate
Original
Sampling Interval
Updated
Sampling Rate
Updated
Sampling Interval
1 0.25 1 of 4 0.33 1 of 3
2 0.14 1 of 6 0.17 2 of 11
3 0.20 1 of 5 0.24 1 of 4
4 0.83 5 of 6 1.00 1 of 1
5 0.13 1 of 8 0.15 1 of 7
6 0.04 1 of 25 0.05 1 of 20
7 0.50 1 of 2 0.60 3 of 4
8 0.20 1 of 5 0.24 1 of 4
9 0.22 2 of 9 0.27 1 of 4
10 0.80 4 of 5 0.96 1 of 1
11 0.20 1 of 5 0.24 1 of 4
12 0.13 1 of 8 0.15 1 of 7
PARTICIPANT RECRUITMENT
The project coordinator was responsible for identifying which guest was to be selected for
recruitment using the predetermined sampling rate of the stratum. Guests were approached
at the interval determined, and the interval was not altered regardless of whether a guest
participated in the survey or not. Selected guests were recruited by the project coordinator
whenever possible. In situations where the Food Bank indicated that there was a high
proportion of guests who spoke only Spanish, recruitment was conducted by a volunteer who
spoke both English and Spanish fluently. Every attempt was made to approach guests in
isolation to explain the purpose and goal of the study before asking them to participate.
Guests who did not speak English or Spanish were excluded from participation, and if a guest
declined to participate, the recruiter attempted to determine a reason for the refusal.
If a guest agreed to take part in the survey, they were given a large, numbered index card and
the option of being interviewed immediately or after they were finished eating their meal (meal
programs) or shopping for food (pantries). The index card served as a reminder to the
selected guest that they were asked to participate in the interview and a visual cue for
interviewers to track a selected guest as they received services. Recruitment attempts were
logged by the project coordinator by the number on the index card of the guest approached,
whether they accepted or declined to participate in an interview, and if they declined, their
reason (if a reason was given).
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THE INTERVIEW
Before the beginning of each interview, recruited participants were individually consented to
ensure they understood the types of questions that would be asked and had the opportunity
to ask any questions. The interviewer read the questions aloud, although a participant was
able to read along on the iPad as questions were asked. Interviewers and participants
attempted to sit in a semi-private area to ensure confidentiality of the interview, though
interviewers always deferred to a participant’s preference on location. Participants could
elect to skip any question that they were not comfortable answering and they were free to
leave at any time. Interviews averaged 15 minutes in length and participants were given a
$10 gift card for their time. Upon completion of a survey, the interviewer returned the iPad to
the survey team and waited for the next potential participant to be identified.
ANALYTICAL APPROACH
The data in this report include the complete results of the 2019 Rhode Island Hunger Survey
as administered, plus additional stratifications by type of site (meal program versus pantry)
and derived measures of interest. In total, 418 surveys were completed at 61 unique agency
programs throughout Rhode Island. The data were analyzed using SAS 9.4.
WEIGHTING
The responses have been weighted to more adequately reflect the population the Food Bank
serves at large. Survey weights are best visualized as the number of units in a population
that the particular observation represents. Weights also account for the sampling plan used
to select who would be asked to participant in the study, as well as non-response by those
approached. In the data presented, counts are the unweighted totals of a selected response
to a question, while the percentages and confidence intervals have been weighted to reflect
the entire population of Food Bank guests.
RESPONSE RATES
Response rates reflect the number of approached guests who agreed to participate in the
survey. In this survey, 663 participants were approached and 418 consented to participate in
the survey. This yielded an overall response rate of 63.0%. Response rates at the stratum-
specific level were also calculated to ensure that there were no notable differences in rates by
strata. Of the 12 strata, only stratum 2 and 4 deviated greater than 15% from the overall
response rate, and these deviations were in the positive direction (response rates of 87.5%
and 100% for strata 2 and 4, respectively). Further analysis to explore potential biases found
nothing of concern.
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CAVEATS
One significant cause of non-response in this survey was the presence of a language barrier
between the survey team and approached guests. While bilingual volunteers attended many
of the site visits, there were many situations where an approached guest spoke Spanish and
the interviewer did not. As a result, the survey could not be administered to the guest
regardless of his or her interest. Thus, the results of this survey may underrepresent the
subpopulation of Spanish-speaking guests who frequent Food Bank-affiliated agencies.
Additionally, members of the survey team encountered Food Bank guests who spoke other
languages such as Portuguese or Haitian-Creole. These guests could not be interviewed
because the team did not have translations of the survey in languages other than English and
Spanish.
12
RESULTS
This section describes the results of the 2019 Rhode Island Hunger Survey. Questions asked
in the survey cover a broad range of topics of concern to the Food Bank and aim to
understand more about the characteristics and circumstances of guests who frequent
member agencies.
First, survey results were used to estimate counts of the total number of people served by the
Food Bank on a monthly and yearly basis. Estimates of household size and the number of
people served with differing demographic features are displayed in tables. After this,
demographic information is presented as a percent of total households with a given
characteristic. The report then describes housing characteristics, employment status and
opportunity, household health and income, food security, involvement with other benefit
programs, and frequency of using the Food Bank’s programs. Finally, there is a section on
poverty that explores how the characteristics of households below the poverty line differ from
the total population.
In addition to overall characteristics, many measures presented in this report are stratified by
food pantries and meal programs to highlight the differences in characteristics of guests
attending the two types of programs. Furthermore, some sub-analyses explore only
households containing children aged 0-17 or households containing adults aged 65 and older,
providing insights into the needs of the most vulnerable groups in the population.
In addition to the highlighted measures provided in this section, results from the entire survey,
with weighted and unweighted counts and percentages, are located in Appendix A.
Measures stratified by food pantry and meal program, along with weighted percentages, are
in Appendix B. An asterisk appears next to any data point where the unweighted response
count was less than or equal to 5. This was done to protect the anonymity of the survey
participants and because estimates drawn from low counts tend to come with a high degree
of instability.
13
ESTIMATED COUNTS OF HOUSEHOLDS SERVED BY THE FOOD BANK
The counts listed below shows the number of unique households served in a month given the
demographic characteristic listed. Participants were asked as part of the survey about the
number of individuals in their current household and questions about each person’s age,
education, race/ethnicity, gender, and student status. These data were gathered and used to
generate households estimates of the population served by the Food Bank each month.
Table 3 shows estimated counts of the total monthly people served using weighted estimates
for household size from the survey. Total household numbers are estimated monthly by the
Food Bank and numbers from June 2019 were used to calculate the counts here.
Approximately 16,100 households that use the Food Bank monthly have a size of 1.
Table 4 shows estimated counts of households that that have at least one resident within a
specific age range. As an example, about 9,200 households served in a month have at least
one individual who is aged 0-17.
Table 4: Estimated Monthly Counts of Households Served with Residents of
Specific Ages
Age of Resident Monthly Count (95% CI)
0-17 9,200 (7,100-11,300)
18-29 4,900 (3,800-6,000)
30-49 14,800 (12,200-17,400)
50-59 13,000 (10,500-15,600)
60-64 5,800 (4,100-7,500)
65 and older 11,200 (9,100-13,200)
Table 3: Estimated Monthly Counts of Households Served by Household Size
Household Size Monthly Count (95% CI)
1 person 16,100 (13,500-18,600)
2 people 8,400 (6,300-10,500)
3 people 4,400 (2,700-6,200)
4 people 2,800 (1,600-4,100)
5 people 1,500 (800-2,200)
6 people 1,000 (500-1,500)
7 people 500 (100-900)
8 or more people 1,300 (300-2,400)
14
Table 5 lists the estimated households served with a resident who identifies as the listed
race/ethnicity. Monthly, about 21,700 households include residents that identify as White.
There are about 7,600 households served with residents who identify as Black/African, while
about 10,000 households served monthly have residents who identify as Hispanic/Latinx.
Table 5: Estimated Monthly and Counts of Households Served with
Residents Identifying as Specific Races/Ethnicit ies
Race/Ethnicity of Resident Monthly Count (95% CI)
White 21,700 (19,300-24,200)
Black/African 7,600 (5,200-9,900)
Hispanic/Latinx 10,000 (8,200-11,800)
Native American/ Alaskan Native 1,900 (800-3,000)
Some Other Race or Origin 2,300 (1,200-3,500)
Multiple Races/Ethnicities 4,100 (2,800-5,500)
Table 6 shows the estimated count of households with individuals who identify as male,
female, or some other way. About 26,700 households served in a month contain at least one
person who identifies as female, while about 26,600 people served a month contain a person
who identifies as male.
Table 6: Estimated Monthly Counts of Households Served with Residents
Identifying as a Specific Gender
Gender of Resident Monthly Count (95% CI)
Male 26,600 (24,200-28,900)
Female 26,700 (24,200-29,100)
Some other way *
*Data were suppressed due to a sample size less than or equal to 5
Table 7 lists counts of households with a current student aged 18 years or older. Only about
3,200 households served per month include a current student.
Table 7: Estimated Monthly Counts of Households Served With A Current
Student
Student Status Monthly Count (95% CI)
Current student 3,200 (2,000-4,500)
15
Table 8 shows the estimated counts of languages being spoken in households that are
served monthly. English is the primary language spoken by the majority of households
served (approximately 30,000/month) with the second most common language being Spanish
(7,600 households/month served). Other languages that are spoken by Food Bank guest
households include Portuguese, Haitian-Creole, Cambodian, Cape Verdean-Creole, French,
German, Japanese, Korean, Romanian, and Russian.
Table 8: Estimated Monthly Counts of Households Served by Languages
Spoken
Language Spoken in Household Monthly Count (95% CI)
English 30,000 (28,700-31,300)
Spanish 7,600 (6,300-9,000)
Portuguese 400 (100-600)
Haitian-Creole 500 (100-900)
Other Language 400 (0-800)
Table 9 shows counts of households with particular demographic characteristics. The Food
Bank serves about 9,300 households per month with children aged 0-17 and about 11,200
households a month with adults aged 65 years and older. Approximately 31,800 households
with a yearly income below the poverty line are served per month.
Table 9: Estimated Monthly Counts of Households Served with Additional
Characteristics
Characteristic in Household Monthly Count (95% CI)
A child aged 0-17 9,300 (7,200-11,400)
An elderly resident aged 65 and older 11,200 (9,100-13,200)
A yearly income below the poverty line 31,800 (30,600-32,800)
16
DEMOGRAPHICS OF RHODE ISLAND COMMUNITY FOOD BANK HOUSEHOLDS
Table 10 shows the size of households that use the Food Bank’s services overall and by site
type. In total, the majority of all households that utilize the Food Bank’s services consist of
only one or two people, with almost half of all households consisting of only one person. This
is especially pronounced among those who frequent meal programs, where the proportion of
households consisting of only one person rises to 63% of all households.
Table 10: Household Size by Site Type
All Sites Food Pantries Meal Programs
Household
Size Count
Weighted Percent
(95% CI) Count
Weighted Percent
(95% CI) Count
Weighted Percent
(95% CI)
1 person 160 44.6% (37.5-51.6) 94 30.4% (24.6-36.1) 66 62.8% (48.5-77.1)
2 people 103 23.2% (17.4-29.1) 81 27.9% (22.3-33.5) 22 17.2% (6.0-28.4)
3 people 50 12.3% (7.4-17.2) 41 13.3% (9.1-17.5) 9 11.0% (1.2-20.8)
4 people 43 7.9% (4.5-11.3) 36 10.3% (6.7-13.9) 7 4.7% (0.0-10.9)
5 people 25 4.1% (2.2-6.0) 19 6.5% (3.4-9.6) 6 1.1% (0.0-2.6)
6 people 17 2.8% (1.3-4.3) * * * *
7 people 8 1.5% (0.3-2.6) * * * *
8 or more
people 12 3.7% (0.8-6.6) * * * *
Total 418 100% 304 100% 114 100%
*Data were suppressed due to a sample size less than or equal to 5
Figures 1A and 1B show the percentage of households frequenting member agencies with a
resident within a specified age ranges. Figure 1A shows overall age breakdowns while
Figure 1B shows differences between food pantries and meal programs. About 40% of all
households include a resident aged 30-49, followed by 50-59 and 65 and older. It is notable
that the age distribution varies greatly between those who frequent food pantries and those
who frequent meal programs. At meal programs, guests are less likely to have children in
their households.
17
Figure 1A: Percentage of Households with at Least One Person of a Specific
Age
Figure 1B: Percentage of Households with at Least One Person of a Specific
Age, Strat if ied by Site Type
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
65+
60-64
50-59
30-49
18-29
0-17
Weighted Percent with 95% CI
Ag
e (
Ye
ars
)
Meal Programs Food Pantries
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
65+
60-64
50-59
30-49
18-29
0-17
Weighted Percent with 95% CI
Ag
e (
Ye
ars
)
18
Figures 2A, 2B, 2C, and 2D show the distribution of children (aged 0-17) and the elderly
(aged 65+) among households that use the Food Bank’s services. About one quarter of all
households contain at least one person aged 0-17, and one third of all households contain at
least one person aged 65+. Almost 50% of all households have either a person aged 0-17 or
a person aged 65+. The populations that use food pantries and meal programs are different
with regard to age. At meal programs, only 14% of households have children, compared to
35% of households served by food pantries. Of households that frequent food pantries, 66%
have either children or the elderly compared to 31% for meal programs.
Figure 2A: Percentage of Total Households with Children and Elderly Residents
50.7%49.3%
Total Households with Children or Elderly Residents
Households with Residents aged 0-17 or 65+
Households with Neither Residents aged 0-17 nor 65+
25.8%
74.2%
Total Households with Children
Households with Residents aged 0-17
Households without Residents aged 0-17
31.0%
69.0%
Total Households with Elderly Residents
Households with Residents aged 65+
Households without Residents aged 65+
19
Figure 2B: Percentage of Households with Children, Stratified by Site Type
Figure 2C: Percentage of Households with Elderly Residents, Stratified by Site Type
Figure 2D: Percentage of Households with Either Children or Elderly Residents, Stratified by
Site Type
34.6%
65.4%
Food Pantry Households with Children
Households with Residents aged 0-17
Households without Residents aged 0-17
14.4%
82.9%
Meal Program Households with Children
Households with Residents aged 0-17
Households without Residents aged 0-17
39.7%
60.3%
Food Pantry Households with Elderly Residents
Households with Residents aged 65+
Households without Residents aged 65+
19.8%
80.2%
Meal Program Households with Elderly Residents
Households with Residents aged 65+
Households without Residents aged 65+
66.3%
33.7%
Food Pantry Households with Children or Elderly Residents
Households with Residents aged 0-17 or 65+
Households without Residents aged 0-17 nor 65+
30.7%
69.3%
Meal Program Households with Children or Elderly Residents
Households with Residents aged 0-17 or 65+
Households without Residents aged 0-17 nor 65+
20
Figures 3A and 3B show self-identified race and ethnicity of survey participants and those in
their households. Participants were allowed to identify as more than one category. The
majority of all Food Bank households have residents who identify as white (60% of all
households). There is a notable difference in the population of Black/African and
Hispanic/Latinx households when stratifying by site type; 30% of meal program households
included a resident who identifies as Black/African, compared to 14% of food pantry
households. In contrast, 10% of meal program households include a resident who identifies
as Hispanic/Latinx, compared to 41% of food pantry households.
Figure 3A: Percentage of Households with at Least One Person Identifying as a Particular
Race or Ethnicity
Figure 3B: Percentage of Households with at Least One Person Identifying as a Particular
Race or Ethnicity, Stratified by Site Type
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%100%
Multiple Races/Ethnicities Selected
Some Other Race or Origin
Native American/Alaskan Native
Hispanic/Latino
Black/African
White
Weighted Percent with 95% CI
Ra
ce
/Eth
nic
ity
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Multiple Race/Ethnicities Selected
Some Other Race or Origin*
Native American/Alaskan Native
Hispanic/Latino
Black/African
White
Weighted Percent with 95% CI
Ra
ce
/Eth
nic
ity
Meal Programs Food Pantries
*Data were suppressed due to a sample size less than or equal to 5
21
Table 11 shows additional demographic characteristics, stratified by type of service offered
(food pantries versus meal programs). Almost forty percent of all households have at least
one resident with less than a high school diploma and this percentage does not vary
significantly between meal programs and food pantries. A larger proportion of food pantry
participants speak Spanish as their primary language at home (34% compared to 5% at meal
programs).
Table 11: Additional Household Characteristics by Type of Service Offered
All Sites Food Pantries Meal Programs
Count
Weighted
Percent
(95% CI)
Count
Weighted
Percent
(95% CI)
Count
Weighted
Percent
(95% CI)
Highest Educational Degree
Less than high school
diploma 169
38.3%
(31.3-45.3) 117
39.6%
(33.7-45.4) 52
36.7%
(22.5-50.8)
High school diploma 196 49.4%
(42.1-56.8) 148
51.1%
(44.8-57.3) 48
47.3%
(32.6-62.0)
General equivalency diploma
or GED 49
14.4%
(8.7-20.1) 37
11.9%
(7.8-15.9) 12
17.6%
(5.6-29.6)
Business, trade, or technical
license, certificate, or
degree beyond high school
26 6.4%
(4.0-8.8) * * * *
Some college beyond high
school or a 2-year college
degree
119 26.1%
(20.1-32.1) 93
29.9%
(24.2-35.6) 26
21.2%
(9.6-32.7)
4-year college degree or
higher 51
8.9%
(6.3-11.6) 43
13.7%
(9.5-17.9) 8
2.8%
(0.2-5.3)
Languages Spoken in Household
English 332 83.2% 233 73.1% 99 96.2%
Spanish 111 21.2% 92 34.1% 19 4.6%
Portuguese 8 1.0% * * * *
Haitian-Creole 7 1.4% * * * *
Other languages 8 1.1% * * * *
*Data were suppressed due to a sample size less than or equal to 5
22
HOUSING/LIVING SITUATION
Figure 4 provides information about the living situation of guests. Like prior surveys, this
survey differentiated between temporary and non-temporary housing. Temporary housing
includes living in a vehicle, a shelter, a rented room in a boarding house, or living on the
street. In total, 9% of all households live in temporary housing and 91% live in permanent
housing. The most common type of housing among guests is an apartment, which accounts
for 57% of all households.
Figure 4: Living Situation
Apartment56.6%
House or townhouse21.2%
Mobile home or trailer2.2%
Car, van, boat, or RV
0.4%
Living on the street2.1%
Rented room in a rooming or boarding house
3.6%
Residential treatment facility
or supervised housing
3.3%
Shelter, mission, or transitional living situation
10.6%
All Housing Temporary Housing
23
Table 12 shows how the living situation differs between those visiting food pantries and meal
programs. The majority of households frequenting both sites live in apartments. Households
frequenting meal programs are more likely to have temporary housing situations than those at
food pantries.
Table 12: Living Situation Among Those Frequenting Food Pantries and Meal
Programs
All Sites Food Pantries Meal Programs
Living Situation Count
Weighted
Percent
(95% CI)
Count
Weighted
Percent
(95% CI)
Count
Weighted
Percent
(95% CI)
Apartment 259 56.7%
(49.6-63.8) 194
62.0%
(56.2-67.8) 65
50.0%
(35.5-64.4)
House or townhouse 95 21.2%
(16.3-26.1) 82
29.2%
(23.7-34.8) 13
10.9%
(2.3-19.5)
Mobile home or trailer 14 2.2%
(0.9-3.4) * * * *
Rented room in a rooming or
boarding house 19
10.7%
(5.0-16.4) * * * *
Temporary or no housing 29 9.3%
(4.4-14.2) 7
2.5%
(0.5-4.5) 22
18.0%
(7.0-28.9)
*Data were suppressed due to a sample size less than or equal to 5
Figure 5 illustrates the way in which households pay for the place that they currently live.
Over 78% of households live in situations where they rent or lease, 9% own their place of
residence with a mortgage, 4% own their residence free and clear, and 8% do not have to pay
rent (due to homelessness or temporary housing).
Figure 5: How a Household Pays for a Place to Live
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Own free and clear Own with mortgage Rent or lease Do not have to payrent
We
igh
ted
Pe
rce
nt w
ith
95
% C
I
24
Excellent, 7.3%
Very Good, 13.8%
Good, 33.8%
Fair, 31.6%
Poor, 13.6%
HEALTH STATUS
Figures 6A and 6B show the proportion of respondents who report their health as being
“Excellent,” “Very Good,” “Good,” “Fair,” or “Poor” overall and stratified by type of service.
Overall, 45% of all respondents categorize their health as “Fair” or “Poor”. Respondents from
meal programs rate their overall health as slightly better than those from food pantries.
Figure 6A: Self-rated Health Status, Overall
Figure 6B: Self-rated Health Status, Stratified by Site Type
Excellent, 8.6%
Very Good, 13.6%
Good, 23.8%
Fair, 38.9%
Poor, 15.2%
Food Pantries Only
Excellent, 5.6% Very
Good, 14.2%
Good, 46.3%
Fair, 22.4%
Poor, 11.5%
Meal Programs Only
25
Table 13 shows the frequency of diabetes and high blood pressure among households overall
and stratified by pantries and meal programs. Overall, 41% of households report someone
living in the household as having diabetes, while 60% of households report someone living in
the household with high blood pressure. There are no meaningful differences between
households attending pantries versus meal programs.
Table 13: Self -Reported Health Conditions by Site Type
All Sites Food Pantries Meal Programs
Medical
Condition Count
Weighted Percent
(95% CI) Count
Weighted Percent
(95% CI) Count
Weighted Percent
(95% CI)
Diabetes 163 40.5% (33.2-47.8) 120 39.7% (33.6-45.9) 43 41.5% (27.0-56.0)
High Blood
Pressure 255 60.4% (53.1-67.7) 191 63.2% (57.1-69.2) 64 56.8% (42.1-71.5)
26
EMPLOYMENT, BARRIERS TO EMPLOYMENT, AND INCOME
Respondents were asked about their current employment status, and if they lived with other
people, the employment status of the next most frequently employed person.
Table 14 shows the distribution of employment over the past 12 months for respondents in
each household. The majority (69%) of respondents did not work at all in the past 12 months,
while 10% of respondents worked 10-12 months out of the year. There is little variation
between meal program and pantry populations. Of those respondents who reported being
employed, 47% reported having worked for 30 or more hours per week over the last 12
months, while 53% worked 30 hours or less per week on average.
Table 14: Months Worked for Pay in the Last 12 Months
All Sites Food Pantries Meal Programs
Months
Working for
Pay
Count Weighted
Percent (95% CI) Count
Weighted
Percent (95% CI) Count
Weighted
Percent (95% CI)
None 292 68.9%
(62.2-75.7) 208
69.1%
(63.5-74.7) 84
68.7%
(55.2-82.3)
Less than
1 month 10
2.3%
(0.8-3.7) * * * *
1-3 months 21 7.9%
(3.0-12.8) 13
4.0%
(1.7-6.4) 8
12.8%
(2.1-23.6)
4-6 months 26 6.4%
(3.1-9.6) * * * *
7-9 months 18 4.7%
(1.6-7.8) * * * *
10-12 months 49 9.9%
(6.2-13.5) 37
11.1%
(7.3-14.9) 12
3.4%
(1.6-15.1)
Total 417 100% 303 100% 114 100%
*Data were suppressed due to a sample size less than or equal to 5
27
Caretaker for another person,
3.9%
Disabled/Poor health, 63.1%
In school, 1.0%
Retired, 23.4%
Other, 8.7%
Among those who were currently unemployed, 24% were actively looking for work. Of those
who were unemployed and not looking for work (Figure 7), 63% stated this was due to poor
health or disability, 23% were retired, 4% were caretakers for another person, 1% were in
school, and 9% had other reasons.
Figure 7: Reason for Not Looking for Work (Among Those Unemployed and Not Actively
Looking)
Figures 8 and 9 show measures of employment in the household. Figure 8 shows the
proportion of households with anyone working for pay in the past 12 months. About 44% of
all households had someone with any form of employment in the past 12 months.
Households that frequent meal programs are less likely to have any form of employment.
Most notably, households with children are significantly more likely to have a person
employed in the home (69% of all households with children). While a smaller percentage,
more than 38% of households with residents 65 and older have a person employed in the
home.
28
Figure 8: Households with Anyone Working for Pay in the Last 12 Months
Figure 9 shows the percentage of households with anyone currently working for pay at the
time of the survey. About 26% of households had someone working for pay at the time of the
survey. Results were similar to employment in the past 12 months when stratified by site type
and vulnerable populations.
Figure 9: Households with Anyone Currently Working for Pay
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Household with Residents Aged 65+
Households with Children Aged 0-17
Meal Program Guests Only
Food Pantry Guests Only
All Food Bank Guests
Weighted Percent with 95% CI
Percentage of Households with Anyone Working for Pay
Percentage of Households without Anyone Working for Pay
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Household with Residents Aged 65+
Households with Children Aged 0-17
Meal Program Guests Only
Food Pantry Guests Only
All Food Bank Guests
Weighted Percent with 95% CI
Percentage of Households with Anyone Currently Working for Pay
Percentage of Households without Anyone Currently Working for Pay
29
Figure 10 shows the total combined income of all members in each household over the past 4
weeks. Total income includes income received from jobs, businesses, investments, disability,
pensions, social security, or any other form. One-third (35%) of all households had incomes
of $501-$1,000 in the 4 weeks before they were interviewed, with about 26% having less than
that. Three times as many households had no income in the past 4 weeks at meals programs
(23%) compared to food pantries (8%).
Figure 10: Household Income in the Past 4 Weeks by Site Type
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
All Food Bank Guests Food Pantries Only Meal Programs Only
We
igh
ted
Pe
rce
nt w
ith
95
% C
Is
$0 $1-$500 $501-$1,000 $1,001-$2,000 $2,001-$3,000 More than $3,000
30
Table 15 shows total household income in the past 12 months. Over 50% of all households
had incomes of less than $10,000 per year. There were differences by site type with 45% of
households at meal programs with incomes of $5,000 per year or less, compared to 29% of
households at food pantries.
Table 15: Household Income in Past 12 Months, Strat if ied by Site Type
All Sites Food Pantries Meal Programs
Yearly Income Count
Weighted
Percent
(95% CI)
Count
Weighted
Percent
(95% CI)
Count
Weighted
Percent
(95% CI)
$0 30 9.5%
(4.4-14.6) 20
7.1%
(3.8-10.5) 10
12.7%
(1.7-23.7)
$1-$5,000 97 26.5%
(19.8-33.2) 61
22.1%
(16.9-27.4) 36
32.4%
(18.4-46.3)
$5,001-$10,000 98 23.7%
(17.3-30.0) 71
25.4%
(19.8-31.1) 27
21.3%
(8.6-34.0)
$10,001-$15,000 64 18.3%
(12.2-24.4) 47
17.3%
(12.3-22.3) 17
19.6%
(7.0-32.2)
$15,001-$20,000 31 9.5%
(4.4-14.6) 23
8.1%
(4.5-11.6) 8
11.4%
(0.5-22.2)
$20,001-$25,000 24 4.5%
(2.5-6.5) * * * *
$25,001-$30,000 18 4.1%
(2.1-6.1) * * * *
More than $30,000 18 3.9%
(2.0-5.8) * * * *
*Data were suppressed due to a sample size less than or equal to 5
31
FINANCIAL SITUATION
Participants were asked whether they had borrowed money from a family member or a
bank/loan service in the past 12 months. As shown in Table 16, 48% of households stated
that they had borrowed money from a friend or family member, while only 6% stated they had
borrowed money from a bank or loan service. The differences in proportions between food
pantries and meal programs were not notable.
Table 16: Households that Borrowed Money in the Past 12 Months,
Stratif ied by Site Type
All Sites Food Pantries Meal Programs
Source Count Weighted Percent
(95% CI) Count
Weighted Percent
(95% CI) Count
Weighted Percent
(95% CI)
From a friend
or family
member
190 47.6% (40.5-54.7) 142 43.3% (37.2-49.5) 48 53.0% (39.0-66.9)
From a bank
or loan
service
33 6.1% (3.8-8.4) 26 9.1% (5.4-12.8) 7 2.2% (0.0-4.6)
32
Figure 11 shows the frequency in which a household had to choose between paying for food
and paying for other necessities such as medicine, utilities (such as gas and water), rent, and
transportation in the past 12 months. The full responses to the questions can be found in
Appendix A. Overall, about 30%-35% of respondents reported ever having to choose
between paying for food and paying for one of the other four needs questioned about.
Households with children ages 0-17 were more likely to need to choose between food and
another need.
Figure 11: Percent of Households Reporting Having Ever Had to Choose Between Food and
Other Needs Over the Past 12 Months
Respondents were also asked whether they had any outstanding debt on a credit card or a
loan for another expense. One third (33%) of respondents state that this was true in their
households. When stratifying by meal program and food pantry households, 41% of food
pantry households stated they had debt, while only 22% of meal program households stated
the same.
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
All Food Bank Guests Households with ResidentsAged 0-17
Households with ResidentsAged 65+
We
igh
ted
Pe
rce
nt w
ith
95
% C
I
Medicine/Medical Care Utilities Rent/Mortgage Transportation/Gas
33
FOOD SECURITY
Figures 12 and 13 show the results for the amount of money a household has available for
food. Figure 12 shows the results about whether a household has enough money available to
meet their food needs, or if a household needed more. More than half (57%) of households
stated they did in fact need more money than was available to meet their needs. This was
higher for respondents at food pantries than meal programs (63% versus 49%). In particular,
73% of all household with residents aged 0-17 stated that more money was needed to meet
their food needs.
Figure 12: Households That Would Have to Spend More Money to Meet Food Needs
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Households with Residents Aged 65+
Households with Residents Aged 0-17
Meal Programs Only
Food Pantries Only
All Food Bank Guests
Weighted Percent with 95% CI
More Same
34
Among those participants who stated that more money was needed to meet their food needs,
Figure 13 shows the resulting follow-up question about how much more money was needed
per week. Slightly less than one quarter of all households needed more than $100 per week.
Among those in households with children aged 0-17, the percentage that needed more than
$100 per week rose to 43%. Among those in households with residents aged 65 or older,
only 15% of households needed more than $100 per week.
Figure 13: How Much More Would a Household Have to Spend Weekly to Meet Food Needs
Participants who indicated they would have to spend more money weekly to meet their food
needs estimated they would need a mean of $93/week (standard deviation (SD) = 7.2) and a
median of $66/week (min = $5, max = $1000). These averages did not vary dramatically
between those who frequented food pantries and those who frequented meals programs.
Food pantry participants estimated they would need a mean of $98/week (SD = 8.8) and a
median of $71/week (min = $5, max = $1000). Meal program participants estimated they
would need a mean of $85/week (SD = 12.3) and a median of $64/week (min = $12, max =
$1000).
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
All Food Bank Guests Households with ResidentsAged 0-17
Households with ResidentsAged 65+
We
igh
ted
Pe
rce
nt w
ith
95
% C
I
$1-$25 $26-$50 $51-$100 $101-$200 $201+
35
Figure 14 shows the results for how much support the Food Bank’s programs provide to
households receiving food from food pantries. Food Bank programs supply 1-2 weeks of food
for about 42% all households and a few days’ worth of food for another 33% of all
households.
Figure 14: Food in the Past 4 Weeks That Came from Food Bank Programs, Food Pantry
Participants Only
Only a few days' worth of food,
33.0%
1-2 weeks' worth of food, 41.9%
More than half of our food in a
month, 16.1%
Almost all of our food in a month,
9.0%
36
Walk30.3%
Bike4.7%
Take bus or train16.7%
Take multiple buses or trains
5.2%
Drive myself in a car, truck,
motorcycle, or scooter30.6%
Get a ride with family or friends
10.7%
Take a taxi, Uber, or Lyft0.3%
Other1.6%
Table 17 shows the prevalence of available cooking equipment in the place that respondents
live. Almost all (90%) households have a stove, microwave, or hot plate and almost all (91%)
have a refrigerator or other device to keep food cold. When stratifying by site type, only about
80% of households that frequent meal programs have the same amenities compared to 99%
of food pantry households.
Table 17: Avai labil i ty of Kitchen Equipment, Stratif ied by Site Type
All Sites Food Pantries Meal Programs
Amenities Count
Weighted
Percent
(95% CI)
Count
Weighted
Percent
(95% CI)
Count
Weighted
Percent
(95% CI)
A stove, microwave, or hot
plate to cook food 389
89.6%
(84.0-95.2) 294
98.8%
(97.5-100.0) 95
78.2%
(65.7-90.6)
A place where you can store
food to keep it cold, like a
refrigerator
387 90.8%
(85.5-96.0) 293
99.0%
(98.0-100.0) 94
80.5%
(68.8-92.2)
Figure 15A, 15B, and 15C show how a respondent arrived to the site on the day of the survey.
The largest percentage (31%) of all households drove themselves to the program, while 30%
of all households walked to the program, 11% rode with family or friends, and 22% took one
or more buses. There is a notable difference in distribution in the type of transportation
utilized between meal program and food pantry households. In pantries, the highest
proportion of households (45%) drove to their program, while in meal programs the highest
proportion walked (37%).
Figure 15A: Mode of Transportation to Site, Overall
37
Figure 15B: Mode of Transportation to Site, Food Pantries
Figure 15C: Mode of Transportation to Site, Meal Programs
Walk
37.0%
Bike8.2%
Take bus or train28.0%
Take multiple buses or trains
10.3%
Drive myself in a car, truck, motorcycle, or scooter
12.7%
Get a ride with family or friends
0.9%Other2.9%
Walk24.9%
Bike1.9%
Take bus or train7.7%
Take multiple buses or trains
1.0%
Drive myself in a car, truck, motorcycle, or scooter
44.9%
Get a ride with family or friends
18.5%
Take a taxi, Uber, or Lyft0.5%
Other0.5%
38
USE OF OTHER SOCIAL SERVICE PROGRAMS
Figure 16 shows results about whether there is anyone in a respondent’s household who is
currently receiving benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
Responses are stratified by site type and by households with children and the elderly. Among
all households, 75% currently receive SNAP benefits. Households with children aged 0-17
and households with the elderly were less likely to receive SNAP (60% and 64%
respectively).
Figure 16: Households with Someone Receiving SNAP Benefits
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Households with Residents Aged 65+
Households with Residents Aged 0-17
Meal Programs Only
Food Pantries Only
All Food Bank Guests
Weighted Percent with 95% CI
Yes No
39
Of those households that currently receive SNAP, Figure 17 shows how many weeks those
SNAP benefits last. Among all households, 19% say their SNAP benefits last 1 week or less,
30% say their SNAP benefits last 2 weeks, 34% 3 weeks, and 14% 4 weeks.
Figure 17: Period of Time that SNAP Benefits Last
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%100%
Households with Residents Aged 65+
Households with Residents Aged 0-17
Meal Programs Only
Food Pantries Only
All Food Bank Guests
Weighted Percent
1 week or less 2 weeks 3 weeks 4 weeks
40
Figure 18 shows the percentage of participants whose SNAP benefits were stopped at some
point in the past. Of all people currently on SNAP, 23% at some time had their benefits
stopped.
Figure 18: Percentage of Participants Whose SNAP Benefits Were Ever Stopped
Figure 19 shows the reasons why a participant’s SNAP benefits were stopped. About 37%
were stopped due to an income that was too high, while 31% were stopped due to missing a
recertification deadline. Other responses grouped into the “other” category include not
qualifying for enough money, lack of a permanent address, and other household members
already having SNAP at the time of recertification.
Figure 19: Reasons Why a Participant’s SNAP Benefits Were Ever Stopped
Income was too high
37.4%
Time ran out/Missed recertification deadline
30.5%
Other32.1%
Yes22.5%
No77.5%
41
Table 18 lists results for questions about use of WIC and subsidized school lunch programs
(for households with children less than 18 years of age). Overall, 6% of all households have a
resident currently receiving benefits through WIC. Of those with children between the ages of
0-5, 55% of households currently receive WIC. In households with children aged 6-17, 80%
have a child who participates in free or reduced price school lunch programs.
Table 18: Questions on WIC and School Lunch Programs
All Households Households with
Children Aged 0-5
Households with
Children Aged 6-17
Count
Weighted
Percent
(95% CI)
Count
Weighted
Percent
(95% CI)
Count
Weighted
Percent
(95% CI)
Do your or anyone in your
household currently receive
benefits through WIC?
36 6.3%
(4.0-8.6) 28
55.4%
(34.5-76.3) 24
18.6%
(10.1-27.2)
Do any children in your
household currently
participate in free or reduced
price school lunch?
91 19.0%
(13.4-24.6) 25
54.5%
(35.5-73.6) 86
80.0%
(71.4-88.6)
42
USE OF FOOD BANK PROGRAMS
The questions asked about a participant’s use of the Food Bank’s programs were contingent
on whether they were interviewed at a food pantry or meal program. Eleven participants (of
293, about 4%) who were interviewed at a food pantry were asked the wrong set of questions
due to being incorrectly listed as at a meal program. The responses for these participants
were excluded from this section of the report. There were no participants who were
interviewed at a meal program that were asked the wrong set of questions.
Figures 20 and 21 show the results of questions asking how frequently during the past 4
weeks that households had visited the food pantry (Figure 20) or meal program (Figure 21) at
which they were surveyed. The majority (59%) of all food pantry households had only visited
the site once in the past month, while about 26% visited twice. Just under half (40%) of all
meal program households visited their site 2-4 times, with 14% visiting one time and 29%
visiting 5-10 times.
Figure 20: Frequency of Visiting Current Food Pantry in the Past 4 Weeks
Figure 21: Frequency of Visiting Current Meal Program in the Past 4 Weeks
1 time58.8%
2 times26.1%
3 or more times15.1%
1 time13.5%
2-4 times40.0%
5-10 times29.1%
11 or more times17.4%
43
Figures 22 and 23 show the percentage of households that had visited multiple food pantries
or meal programs in the past 4 weeks. The majority of households (62%) at food pantries had
only visited the one at which they were interviewed, while 28% had been to two and 10% had
been to three. Less than half (40%) of households interviewed at meal programs had only
been to that meal program, white 22% had been to two, 10% had been to three, and 28% had
been to four or more.
Figure 22: Count of Different Food Pantries Visited in the Past 4 Weeks
Figure 23: Count of Different Meal Programs Visited in the Past 4 Weeks
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
We
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One Two Three Four or more
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
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100%
We
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One Two Three Four or more
44
POVERTY AMONG FOOD BANK GUESTS
Thresholds for determining poverty were taken from the United States Department of Health
and Human Services 2019 Federal Poverty Guidelines used to determine financial eligibility
for certain federal programs. The guidelines take household size into account to determine
eligibility. It is important to note that given how income was asked in the survey, it is not
possible to compute an exact measure of poverty according to the Federal Guidelines. For
example, the federal poverty line for a household of one is $12,490 per year and the closest
income range asked was $10,001-$15,000 per year. For these analyses, individuals in this
income category were not considered to be at or below the poverty line. Thus, these results
should be interpreted cautiously and are likely an underestimate of the number of individuals
living at or below the federal poverty line.
Figure 24 show the overall estimated proportion of households using Food Bank services that
are living below the poverty line. Overall, 88% of all households are at or below the poverty
line with 82% of those surveyed at food pantries and 96% of those at meal programs being at
or below the poverty line. Overall, 89% of households with children ages 0-17 are living at or
below the poverty line, while 81% of households with residents aged 65 and older are at or
below the poverty line.
Figure 24: Percentage of Food Bank Guests At or Below the Poverty Line
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Households with Residents Aged 65+
Households with Residents Aged 0-17
Meal Programs Only
Food Pantries Only
All Food Bank Guests
Weighted Percent with 95% CI
At or Below Poverty Line Above Poverty Line
45
Figure 25 shows the proportion of households below the poverty line where someone in the
household has worked for pay either currently or in the past 12 months. One-quarter (23%) of
households living at or below the poverty line have someone currently working for pay
(compared to 25% in the total sample), and 40% of households living at or below the poverty
line had someone working for pay in the past 12 months (compared to 41% in the total
sample).
Figure 25: Percentage of Households with Someone Working for Pay
Figure 26 shows the percentage of households at or below the poverty line that receive other
benefits in addition to Food Bank services. Six percent of households living at or below the
poverty line currently receive WIC benefits (compared to 7% of the total sample) and 78% of
household living at or below the poverty line receive SNAP benefits (compared to 75% in the
total sample).
Figure 26: Percentage of Households Currently Receiving Additional Benefits
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
In the last year
Now
Weighted Percent with 95% CI
At or Below Poverty Line Total Sample
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
SNAP
WIC
Weighted Percent with 95% CI
Below Poverty Line Total Sample
46
RESIDENTIAL STATUS
Figure 27 shows the percentage of households using the Food Bank’s services where
everyone is a U.S. citizen or legal resident, compared to those where a resident may not be.
Of all households that use the Food Bank’s services, 99% are comprised of all U.S. citizens
or legal residents.
Figure 27: Percentage of Households Where All Residents are U.S. Citizens or Legal
Residents
All Household Members are US Citizens or Legal
Residents98.6%
Not All Households Members are US Citizens or Legal Residents
1.4%
47
CONCLUSIONS
Results from the 2019 Rhode Island Hunger Survey provide a portrait of the people who are
served by the Food Bank and its statewide network of member agencies. They are children,
seniors and working families. They are people living in poverty, facing many hardships,
making difficult financial choices, and suffering from poor health. Many participate in SNAP,
but they also rely on food pantries and meal programs for assistance because SNAP benefits
alone are not adequate.
The Food Bank and its member agencies are a critical safety net for people living in poverty in
Rhode Island. These results show that the Food Bank is reaching those most in need, but
their needs go well beyond food assistance. At a time when the economy in the state is
thriving, much more should be done to reduce poverty and hunger, to alleviate the hardships
faced by low-income families, and to strengthen the safety net.
48
APPENDICES
APPENDIX A: OVERALL RHODE ISLAND HUNGER SURVEY RESULTS
Variable/Characteristic Category Count
(N)
Weighted Count
(N)
Weighted Percent
(%)
Weighted 95%
Confidence Interval (CI)
Survey Characteristics
Survey Language English 348 30,590 86.2% 83.7-88.7
Spanish 70 4,911 13.8% 11.3-16.3
Program Type Food Pantry 304 19,964 56.2% N/A
Meal Program/Soup Kitchen 114 15,537 43.8% N/A
Respondent Demographics
How old are you? 18-29 15 742 2.1% 0.9-3.4
30-49 124 11,150 31.6% 24.6-38.6
50-59 124 10,981 31.1% 24.2-38.1
60-64 52 4,342 12.3% 7.8-16.8
65+ 100 8,049 22.8% 18.2-27.4
Refused/Missing 3 N/A N/A N/A
Are you male or female or do you identify some other way?
Male 146 15,223 42.9% 36.1-49.6
Female 271 20,173 56.8% 50.1-63.6
Identifies some other way * * * *
Refused/Missing 0 N/A N/A N/A
What is your race or origin? You may choose multiple categories.
White 230 19,803 55.8% 48.9-62.6
Black/African 58 6,474 18.2% 11.9-24.5
Hispanic/Latinx 125 8,438 23.8% 19.4-28.1
Native American/Alaskan Native
21 1,530 4.3% 1.3-7.3
Some Other Race or Origin 25 1,679 4.7% 1.8-7.7
Multiple Races/Ethnicities 40 2,436 6.9% 3.6-10.1
Refused/Missing 2 N/A N/A N/A
What is the highest level of education you have completed?
Less than high school 130 10,331 29.3% 22.7-35.8
High school diploma 119 11,091 31.4% 24.5-38.4
General equivalency diploma or GED
35 4,085 11.6% 6.1-17.1
Business, trade, or technical license, certificate, or degree beyond high school
13 913 2.6% 1.0-4.2
Some college beyond high school or a 2-year degree
86 6,877 19.5% 14.1-24.8
4-year college degree or higher
33 2,009 5.7% 3.6-7.8
Refused/Missing 2 N/A N/A N/A
49
Variable/Characteristic Category Count
(N)
Weighted Count
(N)
Weighted Percent
(%)
Weighted 95%
Confidence Interval (CI)
Are you currently a student?
Yes 17 1,050 3.0% 1.4-4.5
No 397 34,095 97.0% 95.5-98.6
Refused/Missing 4 N/A N/A N/A
Household Demographics
How many people total are in your household? By household, we mean people who live together and share living expenses.
1 160 15,818 44.6% 37.5-51.6
2 103 8,247 23.2% 17.4-29.1
3 50 4,370 12.3% 7.4-17.2
4 43 2,798 7.9% 4.5-11.3
5 25 1,459 4.1% 2.2-6.0
6 17 983 2.8% 1.3-4.3
7 8 518 1.5% 0.3-2.6
8+ 12 1,307 3.7% 0.8-6.6
Percentage of households with at least 1 person living there from ages…
0-17 131 9,089 25.6% 19.8-31.4
18-29 85 4,826 13.7% 10.6-16.7
30-49 171 14,541 41.2% 34.0-48.4
50-59 152 12,778 36.2% 29.1-43.3
60-64 72 5,669 16.1% 11.3-20.8
65+ 132 10,942 31.0% 25.3-36.8
Refused/Missing 4 N/A N/A N/A
Percentage of households with at least 1 person identifying as…
Male 314 26,063 73.8% 67.3-80.4
Female 327 26,144 74.1% 67.3-80.8
Identifies Some Other Way * * * *
Refused/Missing 2 N/A N/A N/A
Percentage of households with at least 1 person identifying as…
White 252 21,288 60.3% 53.5-67.2
Black/African 77 7,417 21.0% 14.5-27.5
Hispanic/Latinx 141 9,798 27.8% 22.7-32.9
Native American/Alaskan Native
24 1,848 5.2% 2.1-8.4
Some Other Race or Origin 37 2,306 6.5% 3.3-9.7
Multiple Races/Ethnicities 64 4,094 11.5% 7.8-15.2
Refused/Missing 2 N/A N/A N/A
Percentage of households with a resident whose highest education degree is…
Less than high school 169 13,512 38.3% 31.3-45.3
High school diploma 196 17,445 49.4% 42.1-56.8
General equivalency diploma or GED
49 5,077 14.4% 8.7-20.1
Business, trade, or technical license, certificate, or degree beyond high school
26 1,590 4.5% 2.6-6.4
Some college beyond high school or a 2-year degree
119 9,208 26.1% 20.1-32.1
4-year college degree or higher
51 3,150 8.9% 6.3-11.6
Refused/Missing 14 N/A N/A N/A
50
Variable/Characteristic Category Count
(N)
Weighted Count
(N)
Weighted Percent
(%)
Weighted 95%
Confidence Interval (CI)
Percentage of households with a current student aged 18+
Yes 49 3,187 9.0% 5.6-12.5
Refused/Missing 2 N/A N/A N/A
What is the primary language spoken by adults in your home? You may choose more than one.
English 332 29,554 83.2% 79.6-86.9
Spanish 111 7,526 21.2% 17.5-24.9
Haitian-Creole 7 512 1.4% 0.3-2.6
Portuguese 8 360 1.0% 0.2-1.8
Other Languages 8 389 1.1% 0.1-2.1
Refused/Missing 2 N/A N/A N/A
Working Status
During the last 12 months, about how many months did you work for pay?
None 292 24,338 68.9% 62.2-75.7
Less than 1 month 10 796 2.3% 0.8-3.7
1-3 months 21 2,790 7.9% 3.0-12.8
4-6 months 26 2,246 6.4% 3.1-9.6
7-9 months 18 1,654 4.7% 1.6-7.8
10-12 months 49 3,484 9.9% 6.2-13.5
Refused/Missing 2 N/A N/A N/A
During the last 12 months, about how many hours per week did you typically work for pay? (among those who did work for pay)
Less than 10 per week 15 1,160 10.6% 5.3-15.8
11-20 per week 32 1,686 15.4% 10.3-20.4
21-30 per week 26 2,950 26.9% 13.8-40.0
31-40 per week 37 3,096 28.2% 17.4-39.0
Over 40 per week 14 2,077 18.9% 6.5-31.3
Refused/Missing 0 N/A N/A N/A
Have you worked for pay in the last 4 weeks? (among those who did work for pay)
Yes 69 4,627 42.2% 35.3-49.1
No 55 6,342 57.8% 50.9-64.7
Refused/Missing 0 N/A N/A N/A
How long have you been out of work? (among those who did not work for pay in the last 4 weeks)
Less than 1 month 8 633 2.1% 0.6-3.5
1-6 months 34 4,151 13.7% 7.3-20.1
7-12 months 16 1,522 5.0% 1.6-8.5
More than one year 288 23,919 79.1% 72.1-86.2
Refused/Missing 3 N/A N/A N/A
During the past 4 weeks, have you been actively looking for work? (among those who did not work for pay in the last 4 weeks)
Yes 82 9,267 30.2% 22.5-37.9
No 265 21,413 69.8% 62.1-77.5
Refused/Missing 3 N/A N/A N/A
51
Variable/Characteristic Category Count
(N)
Weighted Count
(N)
Weighted Percent
(%)
Weighted 95%
Confidence Interval (CI)
What is your main reason for not looking for work? Would you say it is because you… (among those who are not currently actively looking for work)
Caretaker for another person
15 833 3.9% 1.6-6.2
Disabled/poor health 166 13,428 63.1% 54.6-71.5
In School * * * *
Retired 65 4,975 23.4% 16.9-29.9
Other 15 1,852 8.7% 2.5-14.9
Refused/Missing 1 N/A N/A N/A
Is there anyone else in your household who worked for pay in the last 12 months? (among those with >1 person in household)
Yes 91 6,788 34.8% 26.6-43.1
No 165 12,701 65.2% 56.9-73.4
Refused/Missing 2 N/A N/A N/A
During the past 12 months, about how many months was that person working for pay? (among those who did work for pay)
1-3 months 9 351 5.2% 1.4-9.1
4-6 months 8 460 6.9% 2.5-11.3
7-9 months 8 526 7.9% 1.8-13.9
10-12 months 65 5,347 80.0% 72.4-87.6
Refused/Missing 3 N/A N/A N/A
During the past 12 months, about how many hours per week did that person typically work for pay? (among those who did work for pay)
Less than 10 per week * * * *
11-20 per week 6 268 4.0% 0.1-7.8
21-30 per week 15 1,365 20.2% 4.9-35.5
31-40 per week 34 2,752 40.7% 23.7-57.7
Over 40 per week 31 2,186 32.3% 21.8-42.8
Refused/Missing 3 N/A N/A N/A
Has that person worked for pay in the last 4 weeks? (among those who did work for pay)
Yes 76 6,125 90.2% 84.3-96.2
No 15 664 9.8% 3.8-15.7
Refused/Missing 2 N/A N/A N/A
How long has that person been out of work? (among those who did not work for pay in the last 4 weeks)
Less than 1 month * * * *
1-6 months 12 416 62.7% 49.5-75.9
7-12 months * * * *
Refused/Missing 2 N/A N/A N/A
During the past 4 weeks, has that person been actively looking for work? (among those who did not work for pay in the last 4 weeks)
Yes * * * *
No * * * *
Refused/Missing 2 N/A N/A N/A
52
Variable/Characteristic Category Count
(N)
Weighted Count
(N)
Weighted Percent
(%)
Weighted 95%
Confidence Interval (CI)
What was that person's main reason for not looking for work? (among those who are not currently actively looking for work)
Disabled/Poor Health * * * *
Other * * * *
Refused/Missing 2 N/A N/A N/A
Military History
Did you or anyone in your household ever serve in the U.S. military?
Yes 47 4,092 11.6% 7.2-16.1
No 368 31,095 88.4% 83.9-92.8
Refused/Missing 3 N/A N/A N/A
Do you or anyone in your household currently serve full-time or part-time in the U.S. Armed Forces, or as a member of the Reserve or National Guard?
Yes 9 636 15.5% 5.6-25.4
No 38 3,456 84.5% 74.6-94.4
Refused/Missing 3 N/A N/A N/A
Health and Healthcare
Thinking now about your health and healthcare, would you say that your own health is…
Excellent 31 2,544 7.3% 3.8-10.7
Very Good 52 4,850 13.8% 9.1-18.5
Good 117 11,850 33.8% 26.8-40.8
Fair 150 11,078 31.6% 25.5-37.7
Poor 63 4,754 13.6% 8.6-18.5
Don’t know/Refused/ Missing
5 N/A N/A N/A
Thinking about the other people in your household, would you say that any of them are in poor health? (among those with >1 person in household)
Yes 75 5,014 28.4% 20.7-36.0
No 160 12,658 71.6% 64.0-79.3
Refused/Missing 3 N/A N/A N/A
Have you or anyone living in your household ever been told by a doctor or other health professional that they have diabetes?
Yes 163 14,269 40.5% 33.2-47.8
No 252 20,950 59.5% 52.2-66.8
Refused/Missing 3 N/A N/A N/A
Have you or anyone living in your household ever been told by a doctor or other health professional that they have high blood pressure?
Yes 255 21,071 60.4% 53.1-67.7
No 156 13,814 39.6% 32.3-46.9
Refused/Missing 7 N/A N/A N/A
53
Variable/Characteristic Category Count
(N)
Weighted Count
(N)
Weighted Percent
(%)
Weighted 95%
Confidence Interval (CI)
Do you or does anyone in your household currently have any kind of health insurance?
Yes 401 34,403 97.5% 96.1-98.9
No 14 879 2.5% 1.1-3.9
Refused/Missing 3 N/A N/A N/A
Living Situation
During the past 12 months, how many places have you lived?
0 * * * *
1 332 26,138 74.2% 67.5-80.9
2 50 4,860 13.8% 8.1-19.4
3 14 2,012 5.7% 1.3-10.1
4 9 991 2.8% 0.0-5.6
More than 4 7 1,054 3.0% 0.0-6.5
Refused/Missing 3 N/A N/A N/A
Please tell me the kind of place where you currently live.
Apartment 259 20,017 56.7% 49.6-63.8
House or townhouse 95 7,470 21.2% 16.3-26.1
Mobile home or house trailer
14 765 2.2% 0.9-3.4
Rented room in rooming or boarding house
19 3,777 10.7% 5.0-16.4
Temporary or no housing 29 3,279 9.3% 4.4-14.2
Refused/Missing 2 N/A N/A N/A
Which best describes your current living situation? (of those who live in a rented room or have temporary or no housing)
Car, van, boat, or RV * * * *
Living on the street 8 745 10.7% 0.0-24.2
Rented room in rooming or boarding house
11 1,269 18.2% 3.7-32.6
Residential treatment facility or supervised housing
* * * *
Shelter, mission, or transitional living situation
21 3,679 52.8% 30.6-74.9
Refused/Missing 2 N/A N/A N/A
How do you pay for the place you currently live? (of those with housing)
Own free and clear 17 1,231 4.4% 2.1-6.6
Own with mortgage 39 2,484 8.8% 5.8-11.8
Rent or lease 290 22,223 78.7% 72.8-84.5
Do not have to pay rent 22 2,313 8.2% 3.3-13.1
Refused/Missing 2 N/A N/A N/A
In the past 12 months, did you start living with another person or family?
Yes 58 5,591 15.9% 10.1-21.7
No 357 29,634 84.1% 78.3-89.9
Refused/Missing 3 N/A N/A N/A
Have you experienced a foreclosure or eviction during the past 5 years?
Yes 43 3,348 9.5% 5.3-13.7
No 372 31,877 90.5% 86.3-94.7
Refused/Missing 3 N/A N/A N/A
54
Variable/Characteristic Category Count
(N)
Weighted Count
(N)
Weighted Percent
(%)
Weighted 95%
Confidence Interval (CI)
Financial Situation
Do you have any unpaid medical or hospital bills?
Yes 119 10,441 29.9% 23.0-36.9
No 291 24,421 70.1% 63.1-77.0
Refused/Missing 8 N/A N/A N/A
How often in past 12 months have you had to choose between food and medicine or medical care?
Every month 44 2,667 7.6% 5.2-10.1
Some months out of the year
69 5,097 14.6% 9.5-19.6
1 or 2 times a year 35 3,130 9.0% 4.7-13.2
Never 264 24,040 68.8% 62.5-75.2
Refused/Missing 6 N/A N/A N/A
How often in past 12 months have you had to choose between food and utilities?
Every month 41 2,681 7.7% 4.3-11.0
Some months out of the year
82 5,055 14.4% 10.5-18.4
1 or 2 times a year 41 3,911 11.2% 6.3-16.0
Never 248 23,381 66.7% 60.4-73.1
Refused/Missing 6 N/A N/A N/A
How often in past 12 months have you had to choose between food and rent/mortgage?
Every month 44 3,634 10.4% 5.6-15.2
Some months out of the year
62 4,550 13.0% 8.1-17.9
1 or 2 times a year 39 3,231 9.3% 5.0-13.5
Never 266 23,492 67.3% 60.4-74.2
Refused/Missing 7 N/A N/A N/A
How often in past 12 months have you had to choose between food and transportation or gas?
Every month 45 3,333 9.5% 5.3-13.7
Some months out of the year
63 4,780 13.6% 8.7-18.6
1 or 2 times a year 34 2,619 7.5% 4.1-10.8
Never 271 24,322 69.4% 62.8-75.9
Refused/Missing 5 N/A N/A N/A
In the past 12 months, have you borrowed money from a friend or family member?
Yes 190 16,686 47.6% 40.5-54.7
No 222 18,342 52.4% 45.3-59.5
Refused/Missing 6 N/A N/A N/A
In the past 12 months, have you borrowed money from a bank or loan service to pay your bills?
Yes 33 2,123 6.1% 3.8-8.4
No 380 32,931 93.9% 91.6-96.2
Refused/Missing 5 N/A N/A N/A
Do you currently have any outstanding debt on a credit card or loan for another expense?
Yes 154 11,379 32.6% 26.4-38.7
No 257 23,559 67.4% 61.3-73.6
Refused/Missing 7 N/A N/A N/A
55
Variable/Characteristic Category Count
(N)
Weighted Count
(N)
Weighted Percent
(%)
Weighted 95%
Confidence Interval (CI)
Other Benefits
Is anyone in your Household currently receiving SNAP benefits?
Yes 298 26,277 75.0% 69.8-80.2
No 115 8,777 25.0% 19.8-30.2
Refused/Missing 5 N/A N/A N/A
How many weeks do your SNAP benefits usually last? (among those with SNAP benefits)
1 week or less 59 5,043 19.2% 13.2-25.2
2 weeks 106 7,862 29.9% 22.4-37.4
3 weeks 89 8,911 33.9% 25.2-42.6
4 weeks or more 44 4,461 17.0% 9.9-24.1
Refused/Missing 5 N/A N/A N/A
Has anyone in your household ever applied for SNAP benefits? (of those without SNAP benefits)
Yes 73 5,986 68.2% 59..5-77.0
No 42 2,790 31.8% 23.0-40.5
Refused/Missing 5 N/A N/A N/A
Why have you not applied for SNAP benefits? (of those without SNAP who have never applied)
Don't think I am eligible 20 1,267 45.4% 27.4-63.4
Never heard of SNAP before * * * *
Personal reasons 9 719 25.8% 8.4-43.1
Another reason 9 603 21.6% 6.0-37.2
Multiple reasons * * * *
Refused/Missing 5 N/A N/A N/A
Have you ever applied for SNAP but did not qualify? (among those who never applied)
Yes 67 5,000 15.6% 11.1-20.0
No 302 27,142 84.4% 80.0-88.9
Refused/Missing 7 N/A N/A N/A
What was the main reason you did not qualify for SNAP? (among those who did not qualify)
Not a U.S. citizen or permanent legal resident
* * * *
Application too difficult * * * *
Income too high 41 3,298 68.6% 56.3-80.9
Assets too high 6 588 12.2% 2.5-21.9
Other 15 716 14.9% 6.3-23.5
Refused/Missing 7 N/A N/A N/A
Has anyone in your household ever had your SNAP benefits stopped?
Yes 97 7,246 22.5% 16.6-28.4
No 273 24,985 77.5% 71.6-83.4
Refused/Missing 6 N/A N/A N/A
What was the main reason your SNAP benefits were stopped? (among those whose benefits were stopped)
Income too high 33 2,642 37.4% 21.2-53.6
Time ran out or missed recertification deadline
38 2,159 30.5% 15.6-45.5
Other 24 2,268 32.1% 16.2-47.9
Refused/Missing 7 N/A N/A N/A
Do you or anyone in your household currently receive benefits through WIC?
Yes 36 2,215 6.3% 4.0-8.6
No 376 32,813 93.7% 91.4-96.0
Refused/Missing 6 N/A N/A N/A
56
Variable/Characteristic Category Count
(N)
Weighted Count
(N)
Weighted Percent
(%)
Weighted 95%
Confidence Interval (CI)
Do any children in your household currently participate in free or reduced price school lunch? (among those with children <= 17)
Yes 91 6,741 75.7% 68.2-83.2
No 37 2,164 24.3% 16.8-31.8
Refused/Missing 7 N/A N/A N/A
Food Security
In order to buy just enough food to meet your needs, would you need to spend more than you do now or about the same?
More 250 19,802 56.7% 49.4-64.1
Same 161 15,093 43.3% 35.9-50.6
Refused/Missing 7 N/A N/A N/A
How much more would you have to spend weekly to meet your food needs? (among those who stated they had to spend more to meet needs)
$1-$25 32 2,430 12.7% 6.6-18.8
$26-$50 72 6,005 31.4% 22.0-40.7
$51-$100 84 6,419 33.5% 24.2-42.9
$101-$200 42 3,588 18.7% 11.1-26.4
$201+ 12 705 3.7% 1.4-6.0
Refused/Missing 14 N/A N/A N/A
Which statement best describes your decisions about coming to get food here?
I plan to get food here on a regular basis to help with monthly food budget
269 22,571 64.6% 57.4-71.7
I usually wait to come until I run out of food
113 8,688 24.8% 18.5-31.2
Other 30 3,707 10.6% 5.4-15.8
Refused/Missing 6 N/A N/A N/A
Does the place you live now have a stove, microwave, or hot plate to cook food?
Yes 389 31,333 89.6% 84.0-95.2
No 23 3,633 10.4% 4.8-16.0
Refused/Missing 6 N/A N/A N/A
Does the place you live now have a place where you can store food to keep it cold, like a refrigerator?
Yes 387 31,742 90.8% 85.5-96.0
No 25 3,223 9.2% 4.0-14.5
Refused/Missing 6 N/A N/A N/A
In the past week, did your household get food from a food pantry? (among meal program respondents)
Yes 55 6,144 39.4% 25.0-53.9
No 60 9,431 60.6% 46.1-75.0
Refused/Missing 0 N/A N/A N/A
In the past 4 weeks, did your household get food from a food pantry? (among meal program respondents)
Yes 20 2,426 25.7% 9.4-42.0
No 40 7,005 74.3% 58.0-90.6
Refused/Missing 0 N/A N/A N/A
57
Variable/Characteristic Category Count
(N)
Weighted Count
(N)
Weighted Percent
(%)
Weighted 95%
Confidence Interval (CI)
In the past 12 months, did your household get food from a food pantry? (among meal program respondents)
Yes 7 2,190 31.8% 9.1-54.5
No 32 4,694 68.2% 45.5-90.9
Refused/Missing 0 N/A N/A N/A
How many times in the past week have you visited this meal program? (among meal program respondents)
1 time 66 5,371 34.8% 23.2-46.3
2-4 times 25 4,470 28.9% 15.3-42.6
5-10 times 17 4,946 32.0% 18.0-46.0
11 or more times 6 668 4.3% 0.0-10.4
Refused/Missing 1 N/A N/A N/A
How many times in the past 4 weeks ha you visited this meal program? (among meal program respondents)
1 time 33 2,094 13.5% 4.6-22.5
2-4 times 43 4,498 29.1% 17.3-40.9
5-10 times 10 2,685 17.4% 5.4-29.4
11 or more times 28 6,178 40.0% 25.5-54.4
Refused/Missing 1 N/A N/A N/A
In the past 4 weeks, how many different meal programs did you visit? (among meal program respondents)
1 46 6,213 39.9% 25.4-54.3
2 32 3,470 22.3% 10.1-34.5
3 12 1,587 10.2% 1.6-18.7
4 or more 25 4,305 27.6% 14.5-40.8
Refused/Missing 0 N/A N/A N/A
In the past week, did your household get food from a meal program? (among food pantry respondents)
Yes 41 2,240 12.2% 8.2-16.1
No 245 16,197 87.8% 83.9-91.8
Refused/Missing 11 N/A N/A N/A
In the past 4 weeks, did your household get food from a meal program? (among food pantry respondents)
Yes 14 1,002 6.2% 2.8-9.6
No 231 15,195 93.8% 90.4-97.2
Refused/Missing 11 N/A N/A N/A
In the past 12 months, did your household get food from a meal program? (among food pantry respondents)
Yes 33 2,091 13.8% 8.8-18.7
No 198 13,104 86.2% 81.3-91.2
Refused/Missing 11 N/A N/A N/A
How many times in the past week have you visited this food pantry? (among food pantry respondents)
1 time 265 16,792 91.1% 87.2-94.9
2 times 13 1,129 6.1% 2.8-9.4
3 or more times 8 517 2.8% 0.6-5.0
Refused/Missing 11 N/A N/A N/A
How many times in the past 4 weeks have you visited this food pantry? (among food pantry respondents)
1 time 186 10,779 58.7% 52.4-65.1
2 times 64 4,798 26.1% 20.4-31.9
3 or more times 35 2,778 15.1% 10.3-20.0
Refused/Missing 11 N/A N/A N/A
58
Variable/Characteristic Category Count
(N)
Weighted Count
(N)
Weighted Percent
(%)
Weighted 95%
Confidence Interval (CI)
In the past 4 weeks, how many different food pantries did you visit? (among food pantry respondents)
1 165 10,860 61.8% 55.4-68.1
2 81 4,925 28.0% 22.1-33.9
3 29 1,801 10.2% 6.2-14.2
Refused/Missing 11 N/A N/A N/A
Thinking of all the feeding programs you've visited in the past 4 weeks, how much of your food came from these programs?
Only a few days' worth of food
129 11,525 33.0% 26.1-39.9
1-2 weeks' worth of food 187 14,623 41.9% 34.9-49.0
More than half of our food in a month
55 5,603 16.1% 10.2-21.9
Almost all of our food in a month
40 3,132 9.0% 5.4-12.6
Refused/Missing 7 N/A N/A N/A
How do you usually get to this program?
Walk 110 10,588 30.3% 23.4-37.1
Bike 13 1,637 4.7% 0.9-8.5
Take bus or train 61 5,846 16.7% 10.7-22.7
Take multiple buses or trains
14 1,805 5.2% 0.9-9.5
Drive myself in a car, truck, motorcycle, or scooter
151 10,695 30.6% 25.4-35.7
Get a ride with family or friends
60 3,731 10.7% 7.9-13.5
Take a taxi, Uber, or Lyft * * * *
Other * * * *
Refused/Missing 6 N/A N/A N/A
Income
Would you say your household income is enough that you afford to pay for all of your usual expenses each month?
Yes 161 13,367 38.4% 31.7-45.1
No 248 21,434 61.6% 54.9-68.3
Refused/Missing 9 N/A N/A N/A
What is the total combined income of all members of your household in the past 4 weeks?
$0 44 4,681 14.5% 8.5-20.6
$1-$500 50 3,624 11.3% 7.3-15.3
$501-$1,000 139 11,333 35.2% 27.9-42.5
$1,001-$2,000 113 9,332 29.0% 22.0-35.9
$2,001-$3,000 32 2,649 8.2% 4.4-12.0
More than $3,000 7 583 1.8% 0.4-3.2
Don’t Know/Refused/ Missing
33 N/A N/A N/A
59
Variable/Characteristic Category Count
(N)
Weighted Count
(N)
Weighted Percent
(%)
Weighted 95%
Confidence Interval (CI)
What is the total combined income of all members of your household in the past 12 months?
$0 30 3,020 9.5% 4.4-14.6
$1-$5,000 97 8,403 26.5% 19.8-33.2
$5,001-$10,000 98 7,500 23.7% 17.3-30.0
$10,001-$15,000 64 5,798 18.3% 12.2-24.4
$15,001-$20,000 31 3,002 9.5% 4.4-14.6
$20,001-$25,000 24 1,430 4.5% 2.5-6.5
$25,001-$30,000 18 1,293 4.1% 2.1-6.1
More than $30,000 18 1,232 3.9% 2.0-5.8
Don’t Know/Refused/ Missing
38 N/A N/A N/A
Residential Status
Was everyone in your household born in the United States?
Yes 305 27,788 79.5% 75.5-83.6
No 106 7,152 20.5% 16.4-24.5
Refused/Missing 7 N/A N/A N/A
Is everyone in your household a permanent legal resident or US citizen? (among those with a non-native member in the household)
Yes 96 6,686 94.6% 90.4-98.8
No 9 383 5.4% 1.2-9.6
Refused/Missing 8 N/A N/A N/A
Are there persons in your household who are not permanent legal resident or US citizens? (among those who are in households with non-citizens)
Adults * * * *
Both adults and children * * * *
Refused/Missing 8 N/A N/A N/A
60
APPENDIX B: RHODE ISLAND HUNGER SURVEY RESULTS BY
PROGRAM
Food Pantries Meal Programs
Variable/ Characteristic
Category Count
(N)
Weighted Percent
(%)
Weighted 95%
Confidence Interval (CI)
Count (N)
Weighted Percent
(%)
Weighted 95%
Confidence Interval (CI)
Survey Characteristics
Survey Language English 246 75.7% 71.2-80.2 102 99.6% 99.5-99.8
Spanish 58 24.3% 19.8-28.8 12 0.4% 0.2-0.5
Respondent Demographics
How old are you? 18-29 * * * * * *
30-49 88 26.7% 21.2-32.1 36 38.0% 23.6-52.4
50-59 89 28.3% 22.7-33.9 35 34.8% 20.7-49.0
60-64 33 11.0% 7.1-14.9 19 14.0% 5.0-23.0
65 and up 78 30.3% 24.5-36.2 22 13.1% 5.9-20.4
Are you male or female or do you identify some other way?
Male 86 26.8% 21.3-32.3 60 63.6% 49.8-77.3
Female 217 72.7% 67.2-78.2 54 36.4% 22.7-50.2
Identifies Some Other Way
* * * * * *
What is your race or origin? You may choose multiple categories.
White 160 52.4% 47.3-57.4 70 60.1% 45.9-74.4
Black/African 35 9.8% 6.3-13.2 23 29.1% 15.4-42.8
Hispanic/Latinx 104 36.6% 32.0-41.3 21 7.2% 0.0-15.2
Native American /Alaskan Native
14 4.3% 1.8-6.8 7 4.3% 0.0-10.3
Some Other Race or Origin
* * * * * *
Multiple Races/ Ethnicities
29 8.6% 5.2-11.9 11 4.7% 0.0-10.7
What is the highest level of education you have completed?
Less than high school
86 29% 23.6-34.4 44 29.6% 16.5-42.7
High school diploma
84 28.4% 22.7-34.0 35 35.3% 21.2-49.4
General equivalency diploma or GED
26 8.2% 4.8-11.6 9 15.8% 4.1-27.5
Business, trade, or technical license, certificate, or degree beyond high school
* * * * * *
Some college beyond high school or a 2-year degree
65 21.7% 16.6-26.9 21 16.6% 6.3-26.9
4-year college degree or higher
* * * * * *
Are you currently a student?
Yes * * * * * *
No * * * * * *
61
Food Pantries Meal Programs
Variable/ Characteristic
Category Count
(N)
Weighted Percent
(%)
Weighted 95%
Confidence Interval (CI)
Count (N)
Weighted Percent
(%)
Weighted 95%
Confidence Interval (CI)
Household Demographics
How many people total are in your household? By household, we mean people who live together and share living expenses.
1 94 30.4% 24.6-36.1 66 62.8% 48.5-77.1
2 81 27.9% 22.3-33.5 22 17.2% 6.0-28.4
3 41 13.3% 9.1-17.5 9 11.0% 1.2-20.8
4 36 10.3% 6.7-13.9 7 4.7% 0.0-10.9
5 19 6.5% 3.4-9.6 6 1.1% 0-2.6
6 * * * * * *
7 * * * * * *
8+ * * * * * *
Percentage of households with at least 1 person living there from ages…
0-17 111 34.4% 28.6-40.3 20 14.3% 3.3-25.2
18-29 74 23.0% 17.7-28.2 11 1.7% 0.0-3.5
30-49 129 40.6% 34.5-46.7 42 42.0% 27.5-56.5
50-59 114 37.1% 31.0-43.1 38 35.1% 20.9-49.2
60-64 48 16.2% 11.6-20.8 24 15.9% 6.7-25.0
65 and up 102 39.7% 33.6-45.9 30 19.8% 9.3-30.3
Percentage of households with at least 1 person identifying as…
Male 230 75.7% 70.3-81.0 84 71.5% 58.3-84.7
Female 255 85.3% 80.9-89.7 72 59.6% 45.2-74.0
Identifies Some Other Way
* * * * * *
Percentage of households with at least 1 person identifying as…
White 183 60.7% 55.7-65.7 69 59.8% 45.5-74.2
Black/African 49 14.4% 10.3-18.6 28 29.5% 15.7-43.3
Hispanic/Latinx 117 41.2% 36.1-46.3 24 10.4% 0.8-20.0
Native American /Alaskan Native
16 5.3% 2.5-8.1 8 5.2% 0.0-11.5
Some other race or origin
* * * * * *
Multiple Races/ Ethnicities
52 16.8% 12.2-21.4 12 4.7% 0.0-10.8
62
Food Pantries Meal Programs
Variable/ Characteristic
Category Count
(N)
Weighted Percent
(%)
Weighted 95%
Confidence Interval (CI)
Count (N)
Weighted Percent
(%)
Weighted 95%
Confidence Interval (CI)
Percentage of households with a resident whose highest education degree is…
Less than high school
117 39.6% 33.7-45.4 52 36.7% 22.5-50.8
High school diploma
148 51.1% 44.8-57.3 48 47.3% 32.6-62.0
General equivalency diploma or GED
37 11.9% 7.8-15.9 12 17.6% 5.6-29.6
Business, trade, or technical license, certificate, or degree beyond high school
* * * * * *
Some college beyond high school or a 2-year degree
93 29.9% 24.2-35.6 26 21.2% 9.6-32.7
4-year college degree or higher
43 13.7% 9.5-17.9 8 2.8% 0.2-5.3
Percentage of households with a current student
Yes 43 13.5% 9.3-17.7 6 3.2% 0.0-9.1
What is the primary language spoken by adults in your home? You may choose more than one.
English 233 73.1% 68.5-77.8 99 96.2% 90.5-100
Spanish 92 34.1% 29.3-38.9 19 4.6% 0.0-10.5
Haitian-Creole * * * * * *
Portuguese * * * * * *
Other Languages * * * * * *
Working Status
During the last 12 months, about how many months did you work for pay?
None 208 69.1% 63.5-74.7 84 68.7% 55.2-82.3
Less than 1 month
* * * * * *
1-3 months 13 4.0% 1.7-6.4 8 12.8% 2.1-23.6
4-6 months * * * * * *
7-9 months * * * * * *
10-12 months 37 11.1% 7.3-14.9 12 8.3% 1.6-15.1
During the last 12 months, about how many hours per week did you typically work for pay? (among those who did work for pay)
Less than 10 per week
* * * * * *
11-20 per week 25 22.2% 13.8-30.7 7 6.7% 2.6-10.8
21-30 per week 18 21.4% 11.8-31.1 8 33.8% 6.8-60.7
31-40 per week 31 34.6% 23.8-45.3 6 20.2% 0.0-40.5
Over 40 per week
* * * * * *
63
Food Pantries Meal Programs
Variable/ Characteristic
Category Count
(N)
Weighted Percent
(%)
Weighted 95%
Confidence Interval (CI)
Count (N)
Weighted Percent
(%)
Weighted 95%
Confidence Interval (CI)
Have you worked for pay in the last 4 weeks? (among those who did work for pay)
Yes 56 57.2% 46.0-68.5 13 23.2% 16.6-29.9
No 38 42.8% 31.5-54.0 17 76.8% 70.1-83.4
How long have you been out of work? (among those who did not work for pay in the last 4 weeks)
Less than 1 month
* * * * * *
1-6 months 24 9.4% 5.4-13.4 10 18.8% 5.7-31.8
7-12 months * * * * * *
More than one year
203 81.8% 76.6-87.0 85 76.0% 62.1-90.0
During the past 4 weeks, have you been actively looking for work? (among those who did not work for pay in the last 4 weeks)
Yes 51 20.9% 15.3-26.4 31 40.8% 25.5-56.0
No 195 79.1% 73.6-84.7 70 59.2% 44.0-74.5
What is your main reason for not looking for work? Would you say it is because you… (among those who are not currently actively looking for work)
Caretaker for Another Person
* * * * * *
Disabled/Poor Health
120 60.6% 52.9-68.3 46 66.9% 49.0-84.8
In School * * * * * *
Retired 47 24.8% 17.9-31.6 18 21.2% 8.6-33.9
Other * * * * * *
Is there anyone else in your household who worked for pay in the last 12 months? (among those with >1 person in household)
Yes 78 39.4% 32.0-46.7 13 24.1% 2.4-45.8
No 130 60.6% 53.3-68.0 35 75.9% 54.2-97.6
64
Food Pantries Meal Programs
Variable/ Characteristic
Category Count
(N)
Weighted Percent
(%)
Weighted 95%
Confidence Interval (CI)
Count (N)
Weighted Percent
(%)
Weighted 95%
Confidence Interval (CI)
During the past 12 months, about how many months was that person working for pay? (among those who did work for pay)
1-3 months * * * * * *
4-6 months * * * * * *
7-9 months * * * * * *
10-12 months * * * * * *
During the past 12 months, about how many hours per week did that person typically work for pay? (among those who did work for pay)
Less than 10 per week
* * * * * *
11-20 per week * * * * * *
21-30 per week * * * * * *
31-40 per week * * * * * *
Over 40 per week
* * * * * *
Has that person worked for pay in the last 4 weeks? (among those who did work for pay)
Yes * * * * * *
No * * * * * *
How long has that person been out of work? (among those who did not work for pay in the last 4 weeks)
Less than 1 month
* * * * * *
1-6 months * * * * * *
7-12 months * * * * * *
During the past 4 weeks, has that person been actively looking for work? (among those who did not work for pay in the last 4 weeks)
Yes * * * * * *
No * * * * * *
What was that person's main reason for not looking for work? (among those who are not currently actively looking for work)
Disabled/Poor Health
* * * * * *
Other * * * * * *
65
Food Pantries Meal Programs
Variable/ Characteristic
Category Count
(N)
Weighted Percent
(%)
Weighted 95%
Confidence Interval (CI)
Count (N)
Weighted Percent
(%)
Weighted 95%
Confidence Interval (CI)
Military History
Did you or anyone in your household ever serve in the U.S. military?
Yes 38 13.2% 9.0-17.5 9 9.6% 1.0-18.2
No 264 86.8% 82.5-91 104 90.4% 81.8-99.0
Do you or anyone in your household currently serve full-time or part-time in the U.S. Armed Forces, or as a member of the Reserve or National Guard?
Yes * * * * * *
No * * * * * *
Health and Healthcare
Thinking now about your health and healthcare, would you say that your own health is…
Excellent 23 8.6% 4.9-12.2 8 5.6% 0.0-11.9
Very Good 37 13.6% 9.2-17.9 15 14.2% 5.2-23.2
Good 77 23.8% 18.6-29.1 40 46.3% 31.9-60.7
Fair 115 38.9% 32.8-44.9 35 22.4% 10.9-34.0
Poor 47 15.2% 10.7-19.7 16 11.5% 1.8-21.2
Thinking about the other people in your household, would you say that any of them are in poor health? (among those with >1 person in household)
Yes 65 33.4% 25.9-40.9 10 16.7% 0.0-35.3
No 124 66.6% 59.1-74.1 36 83.3% 64.7-100
Have you or anyone living in your household ever been told by a doctor or other health professional that they have diabetes?
Yes 120 39.7% 33.6-45.9 43 41.5% 27.0-56.0
No 181 60.3% 54.1-66.4 71 58.5% 44.0-73.0
66
Food Pantries Meal Programs
Variable/ Characteristic
Category Count
(N)
Weighted Percent
(%)
Weighted 95%
Confidence Interval (CI)
Count (N)
Weighted Percent
(%)
Weighted 95%
Confidence Interval (CI)
Have you or anyone living in your household ever been told by a doctor or other health professional that they have high blood pressure?
Yes 191 63.2% 57.1-69.2 64 56.8% 42.1-71.5
No 109 36.8% 30.8-42.9 47 43.2% 28.5-57.9
Do you or does anyone in your household currently have any kind of health insurance?
Yes * * * * * *
No * * * * * *
Living Situation
During the past 12 months, how many places have you lived?
0 * * * * * *
1 255 85.6% 81.2-89.9 77 59.8% 45.5-74.0
2 32 9.8% 6.2-13.4 18 18.9% 6.9-30.8
3 8 2.4% 0.6-4.3 6 9.9% 0.3-19.5
4 * * * * * *
More than 4 * * * * * *
Please tell me the kind of place where you currently live.
Apartment 194 62.0% 56.2-67.8 65 50.0% 35.5-64.4
House or Townhouse
82 29.2% 23.7-34.8 13 10.9% 2.3-19.5
Mobile Home or House Trailer
* * * * * *
Rented Room in Rooming or Boarding House
* * * * * *
Temporary or No Housing
7 2.5% 0.5-4.5 22 18.0% 7.0-28.9
Which best describes your current living situation? (of those who live in a rented room or have temporary or no housing)
Car, van, boat, or RV
* * * * * *
Living on the street
* * * * * *
Rented room in Rooming or Boarding House
* * * * * *
Residential treatment facility or supervised housing
* * * * * *
Shelter, mission, or transitional living situation
* * * * * *
67
Food Pantries Meal Programs
Variable/ Characteristic
Category Count
(N)
Weighted Percent
(%)
Weighted 95%
Confidence Interval (CI)
Count (N)
Weighted Percent
(%)
Weighted 95%
Confidence Interval (CI)
How do you pay for the place you currently live? (of those with housing)
Own free and clear
* * * * * *
Own with mortgage
* * * * * *
Rent or lease 223 76.6% 71.1-82.0 67 82.8% 69.2-96.4
Do not have to pay rent
15 5.7% 2.6-8.8 7 13.0% 0.0-26.2
In the past 12 months, did you start living with another person or family?
Yes 39 13.1% 8.8-17.3 19 19.4% 7.5-31.4
No 262 86.9% 82.7-91.2 95 80.6% 68.6-92.5
Have you experienced a foreclosure or eviction during the past 5 years?
Yes 30 9.4% 5.8-13.0 13 9.6% 1.3-17.9
No 271 90.6% 87.0-94.2 101 90.4% 82.1-98.7
Financial Situation
Do you have any unpaid medical or hospital bills?
Yes 93 29.8% 24.1-35.5 26 30.1% 16.2-44.0
No 204 70.2% 64.5-75.9 87 69.9% 56.0-83.8
How often in past 12 months have you had to choose between food and medicine or medical care?
Every month * * * * * *
Some months out of the year
54 17.9% 13.1-22.6 15 10.5% 0.7-20.2
1 or 2 times a year
28 9.3% 5.7-13.0 7 8.5% 0.1-16.9
Never 176 60.3% 54.2-66.4 88 79.6% 67.5-91.8
How often in past 12 months have you had to choose between food and utilities?
Every month * * * * * *
Some months out of the year
65 20.5% 15.5-25.6 17 6.8% 0.4-13.1
1 or 2 times a year
34 11.7% 7.6-15.8 7 10.5% 0.8-20.2
Never 162 57.2% 51.0-63.4 86 78.7% 66.6-90.9
How often in past 12 months have you had to choose between food and rent/mortgage?
Every month 36 10.8% 7.0-14.5 8 10.0% 0.3-19.7
Some months out of the year
52 15.2% 10.8-19.6 10 10.2% 0.6-19.9
1 or 2 times a year
32 11.6% 7.5-15.6 7 6.3% 0.0-14.4
Never 179 62.5% 56.4-68.5 87 73.4% 59.9-87.0
How often in past 12 months have you had to choose between food and transportation or gas?
Every month 36 10.2% 6.5-13.8 9 8.7% 0.4-17.0
Some months out of the year
50 15.6% 11.1-20.1 13 11.2% 1.5-20.9
1 or 2 times a year
* * * * * *
Never 183 63.6% 57.6-69.7 88 76.6% 63.9-89.3
68
Food Pantries Meal Programs
Variable/ Characteristic
Category Count
(N)
Weighted Percent
(%)
Weighted 95%
Confidence Interval (CI)
Count (N)
Weighted Percent
(%)
Weighted 95%
Confidence Interval (CI)
In the past 12 months, have you borrowed money from a friend or family member?
Yes 142 43.4% 37.2-49.6 48 53% 39.0-66.9
No 156 56.6% 50.4-62.8 66 47% 33.1-61.0
In the past 12 months, have you borrowed money from a bank or loan service to pay your bills?
Yes 26 9.1% 5.4-12.8 7 2.2% 0.0-4.6
No 273 90.9% 87.2-94.6 107 97.8% 95.4-100
Do you currently have any outstanding debt on a credit card or loan for another expense?
Yes 126 40.8% 34.8-46.9 28 22.2% 10.7-33.8
No 171 59.2% 53.1-65.2 86 77.8% 66.2-89.3
Other Benefits
Is anyone in your Household currently receiving SNAP benefits?
Yes 210 70.5% 64.8-76.2 88 80.6% 71.3-89.8
No 89 29.5% 23.8-35.2 26 19.4% 10.2-28.7
How many weeks do your SNAP benefits usually last? (among those with SNAP benefits)
1 week or less 47 23.1% 16.8-29.4 12 14.9% 4.3-25.5
2 weeks 80 38.0% 30.7-45.4 26 21.0% 7.4-34.5
3 weeks 56 25.7% 19.3-32.1 33 43.0% 26.2-59.7
4 weeks or more 27 13.2% 8.0-18.3 17 21.2% 7.4-34.9
Has anyone in your household ever applied for SNAP benefits? (of those without SNAP benefits)
Yes 53 59.6% 48.2-71.0 20 84.6% 71.4-97.9
No 36 40.4% 29.0-51.8 6 15.4% 2.1-28.6
Why have you not applied for SNAP benefits? (of those without SNAP who have never applied)
Don't think I am eligible
* * * * * *
Never heard of SNAP before
* * * * * *
Personal reasons * * * * * *
Another reason * * * * * *
Multiple reasons * * * * * *
69
Food Pantries Meal Programs
Variable/ Characteristic
Category Count
(N)
Weighted Percent
(%)
Weighted 95%
Confidence Interval (CI)
Count (N)
Weighted Percent
(%)
Weighted 95%
Confidence Interval (CI)
Have you ever applied for SNAP but did not qualify? (among those who never applied)
Yes 56 22.9% 17.2-28.7 11 7.2% 0.4-14.0
No 205 77.1% 71.3-82.8 97 92.8% 86.0-99.6
What was the main reason you did not qualify for SNAP? (among those who did not qualify)
Not a U.S. citizen or permanent legal resident
* * * * * *
Application too difficult
* * * * * *
Income too high * * * * * *
Assets too high * * * * * *
Other * * * * * *
Has anyone in your household ever had your SNAP benefits stopped?
Yes 71 26.5% 20.5-32.4 26 17.9% 7.3-28.6
No 191 73.5% 67.6-79.5 82 82.1% 71.4-92.7
Refused * * * * * *
What was the main reason your SNAP benefits were stopped? (among those whose benefits were stopped)
Income too high 26 40.0% 26.6-53.3 7 33.2% 0.0-69.8
Time ran out or missed recertification deadline
27 33.7% 21.5-45.9 11 25.4% 0-59.2.0
Other 16 26.3% 14.0-38.7 8 41.4% 5.0-77.7
Do you or anyone in your household currently receive benefits through WIC?
Yes * * * * * *
No * * * * * *
Do any children in your household currently participate in free or reduced prince school lunch? (among those with children <= 17)
Yes * * * * * *
No * * * * * *
70
Food Pantries Meal Programs
Variable/ Characteristic
Category Count
(N)
Weighted Percent
(%)
Weighted 95%
Confidence Interval (CI)
Count (N)
Weighted Percent
(%)
Weighted 95%
Confidence Interval (CI)
Food Security
In order to buy just enough food to meet your needs, would you need to spend more than you do now or about the same?
More 191 63.3% 57.2-69.4 59 48.5% 33.8-63.2
Same 107 36.7% 30.6-42.8 54 51.5% 36.8-66.2
How much more would you have to spend weekly to meet your food needs? (among those who stated they had to spend more to meet needs)
$1-$25 24 14.1% 8.5-19.8 8 10.3% 0.0-23.5
$26-$50 56 28.3% 21.1-35.5 16 36.5% 14.5-58.5
$51-$100 64 32.0% 24.8-39.3 20 36.1% 14.1-58
$101-$200 33 20.1% 13.6-26.6 9 16.4% 0.0-33.7
$201+ * * * * * *
Which statement best describes your decisions about coming to get food here?
I plan to get food here on a regular basis to help with monthly food budget
196 70.8% 65.4-76.2 73 56.8% 42.2-71.3
I usually wait to come until I run out of food
90 26.3% 21.0-31.6 23 23.0% 10.2-35.7
Other 12 2.9% 1.1-4.7 18 20.2% 8.8-31.7
Does the place you live now have a stove, microwave, or hot plate to cook food?
Yes * * * * * *
No * * * * * *
Does the place you live now have a place where you can store food to keep it cold, like a refrigerator?
Yes * * * * * *
No * * * * * *
71
Food Pantries Meal Programs
Variable/ Characteristic
Category Count
(N)
Weighted Percent
(%)
Weighted 95%
Confidence Interval (CI)
Count (N)
Weighted Percent
(%)
Weighted 95%
Confidence Interval (CI)
Thinking of all the feeding programs you've visited in the past 4 weeks, how much of your food came from these programs?
Only a few days' worth of food
81 27.0% 21.7-32.2 48 40.6% 26.5-54.7
1-2 weeks' worth of food
156 51.8% 45.5-58.2 31 29.6% 15.9-43.2
More than half of our food in a month
36 12.6% 8.4-16.8 19 20.3% 8.2-32.4
Almost all of our food in a month
24 8.6% 5.0-12.2 16 9.5% 2.8-16.2
How do you usually get to this program?
Walk 70 24.9% 19.8-30.0 40 37.0% 23.0-51.1
Bike * * * * * *
Take bus or train 27 7.7% 4.5-10.9 34 28.0% 15.1-41.0
Take multiple buses or trains
* * * * * *
Drive myself in a car, truck, motorcycle, or scooter
136 44.9% 39.0-50.8 15 12.7% 3.8-21.6
Get a ride with family or friends
53 18.5% 13.6-23.5 7 0.9% 0.0-1.8
Take a taxi, Uber, or Lyft
* * * * * *
Other * * * * * *
Income
Would you say your household income is enough that you afford to pay for all of your usual expenses each month?
Yes 110 37.5% 31.4-43.7 51 39.5% 26.5-52.5
No 185 62.5% 56.3-68.6 63 60.5% 47.5-73.5
What is the total combined income of all members of your household in the past 4 weeks?
$0 25 7.8% 4.4-11.1 19 23.4% 10.1-36.7
$1-$500 39 14.0% 9.6-18.5 11 7.6% 0.4-14.8
$501-$1,000 97 36.3% 30.2-42.5 42 33.7% 18.9-48.5
$1,001-$2,000 86 28.8% 23-34.6 27 29.2% 15.1-43.4
$2,001-$3,000 * * * * * *
More than $3,000
* * * * * *
What is the total combined income of all members of your household in the past 12 months?
$0 20 7.1% 3.8-10.5 10 12.7% 1.7-23.7
$1-$5,000 61 22.1% 16.9-27.4 36 32.4% 18.4-46.3
$5,001-$10,000 71 25.4% 19.8-31.1 27 21.3% 8.6-34.0
$10,001-$15,000 47 17.3% 12.3-22.3 17 19.6% 7.0-32.2
$15,001-$20,000 23 8.1% 4.5-11.6 8 11.4% 0.5-22.2
$20,001-$25,000 * * * * * *
$25,001-$30,000 * * * * * *
More than $30,000
* * * * * *
72
Food Pantries Meal Programs
Variable/ Characteristic
Category Count
(N)
Weighted Percent
(%)
Weighted 95%
Confidence Interval (CI)
Count (N)
Weighted Percent
(%)
Weighted 95%
Confidence Interval (CI)
Residential Status
Was everyone in your household born in the United States?
Yes 210 67.6% 62.3-72.9 95 94.5% 88.2-100
No 88 32.4% 27.1-37.7 18 5.5% 0.0-11.8
Is everyone in your household a permanent legal resident or US citizen? (among those with a non-native member in the household)
Yes 80 94% 89.2-98.8 16 98.9% 97.3-100
No * * * * * *
Are there persons in your household who are not permanent legal resident or US citizens? (among those who are in households with non-citizens)
Adults * * * * * *
Both adults and children
* * * * * *